Diner’s Diary | M&S Hong Kong food bestseller chart has some surprises: green veggies a hit along with baked goods and chocolatey snacks
Marks & Spencer’s food section in Hong Kong started out selling mainly biscuits and chocolate, but has expanded to meet changing customer demand. We asked which items are their biggest sellers
With Marks & Spencer food outlets having mushroomed in Hong Kong in recent years, we were curious as to which items they sold the most of each week. We were in for something of a surprise: spinach, kale, and cucumbers are among the M&S bestsellers, alongside more obvious hits such as croissants and doughnuts.
Adam Colton, managing director, greater China for M&S says originally they mostly sold chocolate and biscuits in the city, but in the last few years the selection has expanded to over 2,000 food products, including fruit, vegetables and ready-made food.
As we tour the shelves full of chilled items in the Central store’s food section, Colton explains that having the vegetables packaged and practically ready to use – its bags of spinach can even be put in the microwave – makes it easier for customers to prepare meals. The store recently began selling vacuum-packed fresh meat.
“We have a team here that runs the food business for a number of years. They know what the customers want and know what sells. We also experiment too to see what works and what doesn’t.