Indulge in Exquisite Italian Taste

Venchi, the century-old Italian confectionery company, leverages Hong Kong’s strategic location and unmatched connectivity with Mainland China to expedite its APAC expansion.

Venchi, one of the oldest chocolate brands in the world, has a rich history dating back to 1878. The brand has celebrated chocolate in many styles and forms, including chocolates, pralines, chocolate spread, hot chocolate, and gelato. With more than 150 boutiques worldwide offering 350 chocolate recipes and 90 gelato flavours, Venchi enables customers to immerse themselves in a unique sensory experience.

Capitalising on Hong Kong’s vibrant culinary landscape, Venchi established its regional headquarters in Hong Kong in 2007 and now has 16 retail stores spanning high-end shopping malls in prime locations. The chocolatier plans to further expand its business in Hong Kong and tap into the fast-growing consumer market in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

Top-of-the-mind Place for International Brands

According to Marco Galimberti, Chief Executive Officer, APAC of Venchi, Hong Kong was top of mind when Venchi explored exporting its chocolates. Galimberti stated, “Hong Kong is a world-class city thanks to its extremely dynamic market. It is paramount for international confectionery brands to establish a presence here to be universally acknowledged. Hence, in 2007, we set up our regional headquarters in Hong Kong with a local partner.”

“The city is ideal for business because it provides a rich talent pool, favourable business environment, sophisticated infrastructure, and advanced logistics and supply-chain management. Thus, with its capability and competence, Hong Kong can deliver premium products and services to consumers,” he said.

Galimberti also pointed out that the city’s geographical and cultural proximity to Mainland China is unparalleled. “Hong Kong is a gateway between Mainland China and the rest of the world, conducive to Venchi’s expansion. On top of that, Hong Kong’s talent is highly competitive. They understand well the Chinese market while having global perspectives, making our establishment and operation in Mainland China much smoother.”

Delightful Chocolate Creations

Over the past 145 years, Venchi’s chocolate artisans have created products based on a “Buono Buonissimo” rule suggesting that all ingredients must be natural and everything is gluten-and palm oil-free. “Venchi’s chocolate is low on sugar, but intense in nuts and cocoa mass. Our hazelnuts come from Piedmont, a fertile agricultural region of Italy, and we handpick cocoa from plantations in South America where we can get cocoa beans with premium quality. Moreover, we produce all raw materials for our gelato and make it fresh in every retail shop worldwide,” Galimberti explained, adding that Venchi also serves vegan chocolates and water-based gelato to cater for the plant-based protein and vegetarian food market.

Venchi has substantially increased sales in Hong Kong even during the pandemic, showing its resilience and adaptability to the local market. “With Hong Kong and Mainland China reopening, it is high time to invest. We will boost our efforts to open more shops, upscale our current stores, and reinvigorate our brand image. Only then can we set to bring a genuine Italian culture to our customers,” Galimberti concluded.