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Writing big script for success abroad State Grid
taps new
GOING GLOBAL | energy
Stationery giant M&G
gains in popularity with gusto
worldwide, enabling
expansion via M&As in China
By ZHENG XIN
By SHI JING in Shanghai zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn
shijing@chinadaily.com.cn
State Grid Corp of China, the
Over the past 31 years, Shanghai world’s largest electricity compa
based Chinese stationery brand ny by power generation capacity,
M&G has been ubiquitous in offices said its new energy power gener
and homes across the country. Its ation was around 588.4 billion
gel pens are particularly popular. kilowatthours last year, up 15
Now, Shanghai M&G Stationery percent from 2019.
Inc, the owner of the M&G brand, is It is the equivalent of reducing
going global with a welldefined coal consumption by 250 million
fiveyear strategy, according to Chen metric tons and carbon dioxide
Huxiong, its founder and CEO. by 450 million tons, said the com
Established in 1989, M&G makes pany.
its products available in nearly State Grid said it will build a
80,000 retail stores in China. It stable, safe and economical power
opened another 440 largescale transmission channel to further
brandexclusive physical stores. absorb more clean energy, based
The last 10 years generated dou on complementary multienergy
bledigit growth, giving M&G the mix of hydropower, wind power
largest share of the Chinese station and photovoltaic in the country,
ery market, according to global con said Xin Baoan, executive chair
sultancy Euromonitor. man of the Beijingbased central
Though going global was not Stateowned enterprise.
highlighted in the company’s strate As China has pledged to reach
gy in the past, M&G still managed to its peak carbon dioxide emis
sell its products to consumers in sions by 2030 while striving to
more than 50 countries. Sales and achieve carbon neutrality by
purchase networks were set up in 2060, the company would fur
markets like Thailand, Vietnam and Visitors throng the stall of Shanghai M&G Stationery Inc at the Paperworld China 2020 exhibition in Shanghai on Nov 19. Paperworld China ther optimize its structure of the
Malaysia. is one of Asia’s leading exhibitions in the office supplies, stationery, hobby and crafts industry. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY power sources and take advan
The Chinese domestic market tage of new energy, including
accounts for more than 90 percent hydropower and nuclear, to come
of M&G’s annual revenue at present, bility in production, management, M&G can not only enhance its capa type of overseas resources. up with a clean energy optimiza
said Chen. In other words, there is a brandbuilding and exploring new bility in product research and devel “Outbound Chinese companies tion allocation platform, he said.
lot of room for overseas expansion. markets. What we shall do in the fol opment, but also stimulate its should go deeper into the industry The company, which runs the
“We have mainly served the If a worldleading lowing years is come up with more businesses in the overseas market, in which they specialize, completely majority of China’s electricity dis
domestic market for the past three Chinese company localized products and business according to the company. integrate overseas resources and tribution networks, has also
decades, making huge investment models to build M&G into a world The third label that M&G give full play to their expertise. Only pledged to further increase utili
every year to cater to the consumers’
can be nurtured in leading stationery brand, a long acquired in 2019 is Israeli highend in this way can they grow into multi zation of renewable energy
demand. But as the quality of M&G each specific sector term goal specified in our half gifting and household items brand national companies with a global through technological innova
products improves and the compa yearly report for 2020,” said Chen. Peleg Design, which made its debut vision, a sense of innovation and tion.
ny’s supply chain matures, M&G
or industry, the Different tactics will be adopted among the Chinese consumers at capability to manage a complex
should look beyond and find more
opportunities in the overseas mar
quality of ‘made in
China’ products will
in different markets. In developing
countries, more efforts will be made
the third China International international governance struc
Import Expo in November 2020. ture,” wrote Ding. 588.4
kets,” said Chen.
significantly
to build the brand name and set up M&G and Peleg announced at the President Xi Jinping said at a pri billion kWh
Instead of working as an original its own distribution channels. CIIE last year the establishment of vate enterprise symposium held in new energy power generated
equipment manufacturer or OEM improve...” In developed markets, capital will the Israel studio of M&G’s global November 2018 that the Chinese by State Grid Corp of China
for overseas brands, which is the play a bigger role as M&G aims to design center, which aims to attract privately owned enterprises should in 2020, up 15 percent from
practice adopted by many Chinese Chen Huxiong, founder and penetrate mature markets via mer more leading designers from all further expand their international 2019
manufacturers seeking to enter new CEO of Shanghai M&G gers and acquisitions. over the world to inject more vision and enhance their innovation
Stationery Inc
markets, M&G stuck to the rule of M&G started a number of invest vibrancy and originality into M&G capability and core competitiveness So far, the new energy utiliza
developing products under its own ments in 2019. It invested in Italian products. so that more globally competitive tion rate of State Grid’s operating
brand name. “Soon, we will be at the very early coloring and drawing brand Carioca Ding Yuan, vicepresident of the companies can be nurtured. projects is around 97 percent.
To that end, M&G will further stage of our goglobal strategy. So, SpA to become the latter’s minority China Europe International Busi Chen said M&G’s mission is aligned The company will also further
improve product quality via more quality comes first. First things shareholder in February 2019. ness School, wrote in a note that a with the national goals. “In terms of enhance the transprovince clean
innovation attempts and optimiza first,” said Chen. In March 2019, M&G became the better understanding of the rela the entire manufacturing industry, energy power transmission,
tion of distribution. The company Another ground rule is localiza controlling shareholder of Axus Sta tionship between the Chinese mar stationery may only take up a very advancing consumption of clean
has much experience and knowl tion. One of the company’s signature tionery (Shanghai) Co Ltd by acquir ket and the global market is of great small part of it. But companies can go energy and promoting electric
edge in the above two aspects. products, the gel pen, which is very ing the latter’s 56 percent stake. importance for outbound Chinese very deep into respective industries power by innovating environ
It invests over 100 million yuan popular in Europe, has undergone Established in 1992, Axus’ products companies, given the changes despite their (seemingly small) size. mental protective power grid
($15.4 million) in product develop changes in terms of ink formulation have been sold in more than 80 mar brought by the unexpected COVID “If a worldleading Chinese com technology, said Xin.
ment annually. New products are and the size, according to the prefer kets. It has over 50 patents for proc 19 pandemic. pany can be nurtured in each specif State Grid has made efforts to
available at all retail stores in China ences and habits of the local con essing techniques for pencils. Companies should adopt a more ic sector or industry, the quality of reduce overall renewable energy
within one week’s time so that the sumers. Axus is also the parent company rational attitude while deploying ‘made in China’ products will signif curtailment, by increasing the
company can get market feedback “Our expertise gained over the of the wellestablished pencil brand capital globally, as money should be icantly improve, thereby burnishing utilization of ultrahigh voltage
more efficiently. past three decades lies in the capa Marco. By teaming up with Axus, used to connect only with the right Chinese brands globally,” he said. lines, dispatching less coal power
during offpeak hours, and facili
tating more interprovincial pow
Digital thrust on health goods to be Philips’ focus in 202125 er deals, said Wei Hanyang, a
power market analyst at Bloom
bergNEF.
In the future, less curtailment
By ZHONG NAN will further support technology improve productivity, retail capacity and higher renewable integra
zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn driven growth, she said. and branding power,” she said, not tion would require more facilita
The COVID19 pandemic has also ing Philips will keep on innovating tion in gridlevel and even inter
Royal Philips, the Netherlands pushed the growth potential of the with products that are smart and grid collaboration, he said.
based multinational, will boost the stayathome economy, as more peo connected. State Grid has made major
growth of its personal health goods ple stay at home longer and pur While 2020 was an unprecedent strides in clean power. As the
in China during the country’s 14th chase more personal health ed year, with numerous business dominant electricity distributor
FiveYear Plan period (202125), by products such as oral health, skin challenges brought by the pandem in the world’s biggest energy con
investing more in ecommerce care and other products these days, ic, Philips, especially its production sumption market, the company
channels and innovation, said one said Khanna, who is also a member facilities, has been operating largely kicked off three pumped hydro
of its senior executives. of the Philips’ executive committee. uninterrupted as the company is storage plants in Shanxi, Zhe
Philips’ China strategy is a She said China is not only the sec committed to addressing the triple jiang and Shandong provinces in
response to the country’s dualcircu ondlargest market for Philips but duty of care — ensuring employee December, to ease idled solar and
lation growth pattern, the national also a valuable source of inspiration. safety, continuous business opera wind power capacity.
strategy of Healthy China 2030, con Chinese consumers are rapidly tions and addressing key customer The company started con
sumers’ growing demand for per evolving in their journey of selfdis needs. struction of 21 pumped hydro
sonal health products and digital covery and are now driving innova Philips has also continued its storage plants during the past
solutions, said Deeptha Khanna, tion of digital technology globally. investment and cooperation in Chi five years, with a total installed
executive vicepresident and chief They have become more health na. Supported by a number of man capacity of more than 28 million
business leader of Philips’ personal conscious, and are shifting from Sales representatives showcase Philips’ products through a live ufacturing facilities and more than kilowatts, it said.
health cluster. personal to personalized healthcare streaming promoting session on Nov 11. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY 8,000 employees in the country, Pumped hydro storage allows
Proposed by China’s central lead products. Philips in China currently accounts excess power to be saved by
ership, the dualcirculation develop “They care for a quality lifestyle for 15 percent of the Dutch compa pumping water from lower to
ment pattern emerged as the with more personalized products care and home care. They will also tocustomer, or B2C, platform. ny’s annual sales. upper reservoirs when electricity
overriding economic theme, with and services that add value and become the mainstay of their fami Rather than using the traditional Under the dualcirculation devel demand is low, then releasing it
innovation, openingup and the health relevance to their life,” said lies and begin to care about their par ideatomarket process, C2B puts opment paradigm, China’s increas back down to generate electricity
need to boost domestic demand Khanna. “We see tremendous ents’ health as well, Khanna said. the consumer at the center of the ingly open market has created a when consumption is high.
identified as priorities during the potential for our personal health During Alibaba Group Holding entire product development proc highlevel business environment for China is utilizing technologies
new plan period. businesses in China.” Ltd’s Singles Day global shopping ess, by starting with consumer global companies, said Zhao Ping, like largescale storage and ultra
The new paradigm sees domestic With more Chinese consumers festival from Nov 1 to 11 last year, insights and then launching the vicepresident of the research insti high voltage power lines to help
circulation as the mainstay and prioritizing health and fitness, Philips in China partnered with the product with the intent to gather tute at the Beijingheadquartered reduce renewable power waste.
domestic and international circula demand for personal health pro Tmall Innovation Center, the more consumer feedback for future China Council for the Promotion of The nation aims to develop
tions reinforcing each other. ducts has been growing among inhouse product cocreation pro iterations — in about half the time International Trade. about 40 gigawatts of pumped
“We see that the dualcirculation younger, digitalsavvy millennial gram owned by the Chinese ecom as usual, Khanna said. The paradigm also encourages hydro storage capacity by this
development pattern will help fur consumers, triggering renewed merce giant. This agile, faster model is a huge foreign companies to accelerate yearend.
ther deepen and stimulate the interest in a large number of con That is Philips’ first joint venture step forward in product develop their localization process in China, State Grid recently set up a
domestic consumer market, and sumer goods. using the consumertobusiness, or ment and consumer marketing, she actively promote consumer joint venture with China State
thus will add to the dynamics and Such consumers, be it singles, C2B, model and debuted an innova said. upgrades and digital innovation, Construction Engineering Corp
resilience of the country’s business married couples or young parents, tive C2B product, an electric shaver “Therefore, it is equally vital for us and embrace change and develop to further tap the potential of
environment,” she said. will begin to pay attention to health for the younger generation, exclu to constantly update observations of ment, thereby continuously creat China’s smart charging network
The dualcirculation mechanism in the context of pregnancy, child sively on Tmall, Alibaba’s business consumer behavior, in order to ing value, she said. for new energy vehicles.