At the China International Import Expo (CIIE), Shanghai’s top food and beverage retailers signed procurement contracts with global brands on Friday. The Large Retail Purchaser Alliance of the Shanghai Trading Group secured 56 preliminary deals, totaling approximately 3.7 billion yuan (US$521 million), across personal care, food and drink, and daily goods. Around two dozen contracts were finalized on Friday.

Since its founding in 2018, the alliance has doubled its membership, including major retailers such as Red Star Macalline, Metro Commerce Group, and Olé Supermarket.

Local retailer Freshippo partnered with Chilean Garces Fruit to import cherries, plums, and prunes, reducing supply chain costs by 5%. On-demand delivery service Dingdong also pursued sourcing deals worth over 100 million yuan for beef, dairy, and fruit from Australia, New Zealand, and Chile.

Shanghai Vice Mayor Hua Yuan emphasized the expo's role in enhancing consumer access to high-quality foreign goods, aiming to strengthen trade ties between local retailers and international brands for both Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta.