With its innovative snacks and a try-before-you-buy program, Xueji has revolutionized a 300-year-old industry.
Roasted nuts and seeds are traditional snacks that have been around China for hundreds of years. Walk down any street in a Chinese city and you’ll most likely come across one of the thousands of mom-and-pop stores selling these traditional snacks. Most of these store formats have not changed since the 1800s.
Xueji’s founder, Mr. Xinzhu Xue, owned one such store. Having been in the roasted nuts industry for over a decade, he was passionate about selling the best products and creating the best customer experience. He began experimenting with a try-before-you-buy model and added innovative snack products to his store. Customers were so often blown away by these unique and delicious new snacks that they actively introduced the products to their friends via social media.
In 2019, Mr. Xue’s dedication attracted his two partners to join the company – bringing in branding, operational, and supply chain expertise necessary to scale. Together, they formed an all-star team, establishing a more robust supply chain and expanding their footprint without sacrificing quality. Within two years, they had built a roasted nuts empire with over 400 stores nationwide.
Today, Xueji continues to diversify its product line with the addition of innovative new twists to traditional snacks, introducing hundreds of new products every year. In 2021, Xueji achieved triple digit sales growth, demonstrative of the excitement and loyalty generated from their customers.
Vision
China’s roasted nuts and seeds industry is highly fragmented, dominated by small independent stores whose products have not changed in hundreds of years. Today, Xueji has expanded to more than 400 stores across China. We foresee Xueji fast reaching its goal of becoming the market leader for roasted nuts and seeds in China, providing top quality products to hundreds of millions of Chinese families and communities for many years to come.
Partnership
We first encountered Xueji on a research trip to the town of Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital of Hebei. We had heard of the popular snack store from locals, and were attracted by its beautiful displays, unique business model, and most of all, the crowd of people outside.
Our team visited Mr. Xue, establishing a connection that led to GenBridge becoming Xueji’s first outside investor. We leveraged our experience in online and offline retail to accelerate Xueji’s expansion across the country. We were also able to add value by implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for more effective resource planning, and introducing JD.com’s intra-city system to supplement Xueji’s delivery capabilities.
Consumers
Millions of Chinese consumers have enjoyed roasted nuts since childhood. Whether they are gifted as a traditional New Year specialty or eaten as a daily snack, Xueji’s Roasted Nuts rings nostalgic for many. The brand’s core products, such as the milk dates which debuted in 2020, are strongly associated with Xueji and are frequently sold out. Fortunately, with Xueji’s wide range of products, there is truly something for everyone.