Taiwanese manufacturers pivot to Shanghai’s bread market

Liu Shufen, CEO of “Fascino,” said the brand plans to open more stores in Shanghai. Photo by Zhang Guowei

Shanghai residents have always been adventurous in trying new things but also quick to lose interest, and with food safety regulations in mainland China becoming increasingly strict, the city’s F&B industry sees a rapid turnover. Yet recently, many Taiwanese businesses have entered the bread market. Brands such as “Original Bread” and “Fascino Premium Bakery” have recently opened in Shanghai, focusing on refinement and quality, attracting a loyal following among Shanghai’s bread consumers.

The two heads of “Fascino,” Zhou Mingshou and Wu Shibin, were originally Taiwanese manufacturers in traditional printing. Zhou Mingshou, who loves food, is in charge of flavor development, while Wu Shibin, who emphasizes production processes, manages quality control. The bread at “Fascino” follows the manufacturing industry’s standard operating procedures (SOP), with strict oversight on appearance and taste.

Liu Shufen, who handles marketing and is also Zhou Mingshou’s wife, jokes that bread is a handmade product and it’s hard to make every piece identical. The standardized approach by Zhou Mingshou and Wu Shibin meant the bakery went through a long adjustment period in its early days.

Fascino’s first store opened in 2016 next to Xingfuli, a foodie landmark in Shanghai, and achieved good results. The second store opened on the 6th on Nanjing West Road, a popular tourist street in Shanghai. Facing competition, Liu Shufen frankly admits that the Shanghai market is becoming saturated, but she emphasizes that because the market is so large, focusing on quality, positioning, and target customer groups still offers great potential. The third and fourth directly operated “Fascino” outlets are also expected to open within this year. “Fascino” is also considering setting up “express stores” in office buildings across Shanghai, currently in the planning stage.

Wu Shibin pointed out that he has been in the manufacturing and import-export business for over 20 years. In addition to valuing bread quality, his experience in import-export allows him to independently import certain bread ingredients and equipment not yet available through agents in China, setting “Fascino” apart from competitors. When faced with soaring raw material prices, “Fascino” seeks alternative products and will never resort to practices like reducing ingredient quantities that compromise bread quality to deceive consumers—this is also why “Fascino” has been able to establish itself in Shanghai.

(Want Daily)