Bright Dairy sales up

Shanghai-based Bright Dairy & Food, which parted with French partner Danone last year, says its sales jumped 30% in January from a year earlier as it focuses on high-end products such as yogurt and expands beyond its home base.

Bright Dairy, which posted three consecutive years of slowing growth, also plans to reduce its reliance on urban supermarkets by expanding into smaller cities and rural areas, according to a statement citing president Guo Bingheng.
Bright Dairy, whose sales are concentrated in eastern China, lags bigger rivals Mengniu Dairy and Yili Industrial Group nationwide in China. Last year, Danone sold its 20% stake in Bright Dairy, ending their decade-old partnership.
Its sales of milk powder and cheese jumped 80% in January, while revenue from a new, internally developed yogurt brand reached RMB4 million (