Shares in SwitzerlandÕs NestlŽ rose on Thursday after better sales in the US and China helped chief executive Mark Schneider pep up the performance of the worldÕs largest food and drinks group. The company behind brands such as KitKat, Perrier water and NescafŽ coffee reported total sales in the first six months of 2018 had increased 2.8% on an organic, or like-for-like, basis compared with 2.3 % in the same period a year earlier. The pick-up would have been almost 3% without the impact of a protracted truckersÕ strike in Brazil. Analysts had expected 2.5% growth. NestlŽÕs growth fell in 2017 to the slowest in more than two decades amid shifting consumer trends, slow global economic growth and deflationary price pressures. Adding to the pressure on Mr. Schneider, Third Point Ñ the US activist hedge fund founded by Daniel Loeb Ñ invested USD 3.5 billion in a 1.25% stake in the Swiss group. Earlier this month, Third Point complained NestlŽ still had a Òmuddled strategic approachÓ and remained Òinsular, complacent and bureaucraticÓ. However, Mr. Schneider said the first-half results showed that Òour strategic initiatives and rigorous execution are clearly paying off_._._._In particular, the US and China markets showed a meaningful improvementÓ.

NestlŽ has launched an app in China it believes can help the country’s older consumers follow a healthier diet. The world’s largest food maker has teamed up with Chinese electronics group Xiaomi to develop the app into which consumers put information on their weight, blood pressure, sleep and exercise. In return, the app recommends which foods consumers should eat to improve their diet. The app does not push NestlŽ-branded products, instead offering recommendations on “non-packaged foods”, a spokesperson for NestlŽ’s China arm said. Dr. Yu Kai of NestlŽ’s China Research Centre said the ageing of the country’s population represents a social challenge. “We need to redefine the difference between chronological and biological age, promote the concept of health regardless of age and improve the diet quality of consumers by using the most advanced Internet technology. Through this approach, we aim to encourage middle and old age groups to shake off the shackles of age and develop better physical and psychological conditions, so that we can have a more sustainable and healthier society,” Dr. Kai said.

NestlŽ unveiled two manufacturing facilities in Taizhou of Jiangsu Province with a total investment of 1 billion yuan (USD 159 million) to strengthen its nutritional therapy and dermatology businesses in China. The two adjacent factories, measuring a total of 133,000 square meters, make up the 33rd NestlŽ facility in China, underscoring the companyÕs confidence in the future of the Chinese market. The two factories share some supportive facilities and serve NestlŽ Health Science, whose portfolio includes nutrition solutions, diagnostics, devices and drugs, and Galderma, which has a wide range of products treating dermatological conditions. Rashid Qureshi, chairman and CEO of NestlŽ China, said that the new factories underscore NestlŽÕs commitment to nutrition, health and wellness, “which is fully in line with the governmentÕs priority to build a healthy China.”

Western Switzerland confirms its attractiveness with the establishment of 88 foreign companies in 2017. This positive result stems from the collaboration between the Greater Geneva Bern area (GGBa) and the economic development offices of its six member cantons. The investments coming from China and the United States experienced a record year.This outcome is the fruit of a long-term work of selective identification and prospection of potential targets that meet well-defined criteria, such as value added, jobs creation and innovation. Among the almost 240 companies that conducted assessment visits to the GGBa member cantons last year, some should get established in 2018 already.ÒDespite increased international competition, reinforced by the competition of the citiesthemselves, Western Switzerland did very well,Ó says Pierre Maudet, State Councilor of Geneva and President of the GGBa for two years. ÒBut our lead is shrinking and requires highly attractive framework conditions. Taxation is a major issue that Switzerland must now be able to address without any further delay.Ó And a new office will soon be opened in Shenzhen, China.

Swiss watch exports saw their strongest growth in more than five years during 2017 according to a report by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. Hong Kong and mainland China were the top two markets for Swiss watches, with sales in Hong Kong rising 21.3% to 15% of the market and mainland China sales skyrocketing by 44.3% to reach 10.9% of the market.According to Bloomberg, the 2012 crackdown on corruption that badly impacted the luxury watch market in China appears to have either played out or lost its teeth. Meanwhile, efforts by the Chinese government to bring luxury spending back to mainland China seem to be working.Independent of external factors, Swiss luxury watches remain hugely popular in China. A colloquialism illuminates how important they are to signaling success among Chinese elites.These are the five most popular Swiss luxury watch brands in China: Longines, Patek Philippe, Omega, Piaget, Rolex.

Nestle is weighing up the options for one of its dairy plants in China. The world’s largest food maker is considering the future of a factory in Hulunbuir, a city in Inner Mongolia, a province in north-eastern China. The facility, one of four dairy sites Nestle has in China, manufactures raw milk powder. The China Daily newspaper claimed Nestle is planning to sell the plant and has held talks with local business Ningxia Saishang Dairy Co. Approached by just-food and asked if Nestle is looking to sell the factory, a spokesperson for the country’s business in China said: “Due to market changes, Nestle Hulunbuir Dairy Factory is seeking a solution to make our dairy business continuously sustainable. We are reviewing different options in consultation with relevant stakeholders. There are no specific details to share at this stage. We hope to find a solution that is in the best interests of all concerned parties.” The spokesperson added: “Dairy is an important component of NestlŽ’s product offering and business operations in China. We remain fully committed to building a healthy and sustainable dairy business, with significant investments made in support of this ambition.”

A sales surge at luxury goods group Richemont has highlighted the recovery in top-end Swiss mechanical watches as the sector brushes off the threat posed by Apple and other makers of smartwatches. RichemontÕs watch sales in the six months to September 30 were 15% higher than the same period a year earlier, the Swiss group reported on 10 November. Together with a stronger performance in jewellery, the rebound helped lift operating profits by 46% to EUR 1.17bn. Swiss watchmaking has been hit in recent years by sluggish global economic growth, excessive inventory, a clampdown on corruption in China Ñ as well as the rise of the Apple Watch. But this year, the trends have largely gone into reverse. Richemont, whose brands include Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Montblanc, said most of its markets were Òin positive territoryÓ, led by mainland China, Korea, the UK and Ònotably a return to growthÓ in Hong Kong, the largest export market for Swiss watches. Sales in the UK had been boosted by the weak pound since the country voted to leave the EU. The results were flattered, however, by exceptional measures a year ago to reduce excessive inventory, when Richemont bought back watches and destroyed them. Excluding the prior periodÕs one-time charges of EUR 249m, largely related to the buybacks, operating profits increased 11%.

NestlŽ released their nine-month sales report on 19 October. Mark Schneider, NestlŽ CEO said, ÒOur sales results for the nine-month period are in line with our expectations communicated in July. Organic sales growth continued to benefit from industry-leading volume growth, which illustrates our ability to innovate and meet consumer demand. Pricing remained soft. Zone Asia, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa saw further improvement in organic growth. As expected, Western Europe returned to positive organic growth, with significant contributions from coffee and confectionery. Improving our efficiency is a key priority. We have identified further opportunities to accelerate our margin improvement, leading to a further increase in restructuring and related expenses in 2017. Consequently, we now expect our trading operating profit margin to decrease by 40-60 basis points. The development of our underlying trading operating profit margin is fully in line with our expectations for 2017.Ó According to the report, growth in China continued to improve in the third quarter with positive momentum across the portfolio, particularly in coffee and culinary.

Syngenta announced on 17 July that it has received notification of import approval from the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture for its Agrisure Duracade¨ trait. The approval covers corn grain and processing co-products, including dried distillers grains (DDGs), for food and feed use. rik Fyrwald, CEO, said: ÒObtaining this regulatory approval opens up new opportunities for our corn seed portfolio. Growers can expect more choice and exciting new hybrids that offer elite genetics plus the latest in corn rootworm control technology.Ó Corn rootworm costs US growers more than $1 billion annually due to yield losses and costs of control measures. Agrisure Duracade, which features a unique mode of action, helps deliver control of corn rootworm for a healthier corn crop with higher yield potential.The Agrisure Duracade trait has completed the Food and Drug Administration consultation process, received registration from the Environmental Protection Agency and has been fully deregulated by the USDA since 2013.

CHEERS, which has a high reputation among the new generation in China, is from a century-long Swiss family in wine since 1898. Ms. Lina of the Masueger family, whose husband had died prematurely, had to take care of the young children alone. So she became the pioneer to lead the family into the wine industry. In that era, independent working women were still rare. In order to provide a better life for the children, Ms. Lina bravely traveled between the Swiss and the Italian imports of barrels of wine. At first, she sold only to neighbors. Later, the business expanded, the whole family participated to work together from generation to generation. It takes this Swiss domestic wine business family a hundred years to extend their business to the world. Ms. Claudia relayed the family business and aimed the Chinese market. She and CHEERS has been stationed in China for 9 years and by 2017, there is a plan to open 100 CHEERS around China and her target is 888 in the future.