CIIE Exhibit Turns into Commodity as First Belarusian Ice Cream Store Opens

A Belarusian dairy giant launched its first retail outlet in Shanghai on Thursday, marking the latest China International Import Expo exhibit to hit China's commercial market.

The store in Miaohang Town of suburban Baoshan District in Shanghai's north comes from the Kobrin Butter and Cheese Factory, an 87-year-old Belarusian brand.

The store features a grassland-green storefront designed to remind customers of Eastern European pastures. It serves fresh ice cream, milkshakes, and coffee, all made with 100 percent original milk imported directly from Belarus.

The township government approached the company at the Belarus National Pavilion during the 8th CIIE last year. The two sides signed an agreement as Baoshan's first foreign investment project secured at the eighth edition of CIIE.

Local authorities then provided a customized service package, assisting the company with corporate registration, food business licensing, customs clearance, and cold-chain logistics coordination to accelerate the store opening.

The storefront drew large crowds of residents on its opening day. Local shopper Xie, who tried the brand's signature "White Swan Princess" pure milk ice cream for the first time, described the texture as light with a rich milk flavor.

Another resident Lu said she previously paid more than 50 yuan (US$7.4) for a similar ice cream during a trip to Russia, but could now enjoy the same authentic flavor right outside her home at a lower price.

The signature product consists of 94 percent pure milk and contains only 4 grams of natural lactose per 100 grams, without any artificial additives or vegetable fats, said Yuan Mingze, the store manager.

Kobrin commands nearly 40 percent of the dairy market in Belarus and exports extensively to Russia and Turkey.

"Our ice cream provides consumers with a natural, pure, safe, and rich dairy flavor," Aliaksandr Shauchenka, the Belarusian consul general in Shanghai, said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"The opening of this store shows that the quality of Belarusian products resonates with Chinese consumers, and it highlights the high-level relationship between our nations."

Shauchenka said more than 260 kinds of Belarusian goods have been certified in the system of the General Administration of Customs of China and can be supplied to the Chinese market.

They include milk and dairy products, meat delicacies, milk powder, functional nutrition for athletes and the elderly, candy, honey and cheese.

The company chose a residential neighborhood in Baoshan over premium downtown commercial districts to treat the store as a consumer-taste laboratory, Yuan said.

The company is developing customized hot dairy drinks and high-value afternoon tea sets to cater to nearby older residents.

The outlet also functions as a shared showcase for other Belarusian products, displaying imported honey, chocolate, wine, and cultural merchandise.

The store plans to establish five directly managed branches across downtown Shanghai and expand lines for specialty ice cream and imported dairy beverages.