Some of the world's finest chocolatiers have set up shop on the mainland in recent years, hoping to capitalise on the country's hunger for luxury goods. But to what extent sweet-toothed mainlanders will be tempted by premium chocolate, and how big the market will be, remains to be seen.
In September, Belgian luxury chocolatier Godiva opened its flagship store at Sanlitun Village, an upmarket shopping centre in Beijing. The 130-square-metre boutique with a cafe on the second floor was Godiva's fourth retail outlet in the capital; since then, three more stores have opened in the city, all in prime locations.
"Many of our customers have either heard of our chocolate from friends or have tasted it while overseas," says store manager Susan Tie.
Godiva arrived on the mainland in 2009. Now it has 36 stores in 13 cities. For Lunar New Year, the company launched several gift sets for the Asian market featuring tea-flavoured chocolates and snake designs.
"For me, Godiva means premium chocolate with a long history," says 28-year-old Tanis Liu, who first came across the brand as a student in London. Liu has been a frequent customer to the store since it opened, visiting once or twice a month; on each visit, he spends about 1,000 yuan (HK$1,235). Today, Liu buys a red fabric luxury gift box containing 30 assorted chocolates and truffles for a friend. The box costs 750 yuan. (The mainland imposes a 10 per cent tariff on imported chocolate, so the same gift box costs HK$750 at Godiva's online shop in Hong Kong.)