Boost for air freight perishables market as China gets a taste for imported cherries

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Some 10% of all retail sales in China now take place online. Food accounts for just 3.3% of the e-commerce market but is the fastest growing segment, with imported fresh cherries proving an unlikely star perishable product ? with a new air freight business model to boost sales.

While China’s Shandong province grows significant volumes of cherries, foreign varieties are seen as having superior flavour. Upmarket shopping malls sell imported cherries during the US growing season from April to July, and ...