Wanglaoji to set up more herbal tea museums abroad

Guangzhou Wanglaoji Health Industry Co Ltd has unveiled its international brand identity and is planning to establish more herbal tea museums overseas, the company said, as the natural plant-based beverage maker aims to boost its global footprint.

The company, based in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, opened its second herbal tea museum on New York's iconic Fifth Avenue last week, marking another solid step in the international presence of its brand.

Through photos, physical objects and multimedia displays, the museum vividly describes the development of Chinese herbal tea and the Wanglaoji brand, condensing the historical evolution of Chinese herbal tea, and conveying a strong health philosophy and herbal tea culture.

Prior to the opening, the company also unveiled its international English brand identity WALOVI in Los Angeles earlier this month.

"Through an extensive production portfolio, we are catering to the varied demands of a global consumer base," said Weng Shaoquan, chairman of Wanglaoji.

North America is a key overseas market for Wanglaoji, with annual sales increasing significantly since it started exporting in 2013, according to Weng.

Wanglaoji has entered the mainstream channels and chain supermarkets in North America, such as Costco and H Mart, with its e-commerce operations having already expanded into platforms like Amazon, Yamibuy and Wee.

"We believe Wanglaoji will establish even closer connections and interactions with consumers in the United States and the rest of the world, invigorating the international market with vitality and helping more international consumers enjoy natural plant beverages from China," said Weng.

Wanglaoji has achieved international recognition as one of the leading natural plant drink brands in the world, as the company has already bolstered its core herbal tea operations, developing a distinctive line of health-focused plant beverages.

Following its first overseas herbal tea museum, which was inaugurated in 2018 on Grand Street in New York, Wanglaoji plans to establish 56 herbal tea museums worldwide, aiming to promote the market influence of Chinese herbal tea, according to the company.

Over the years, Wanglaoji's sales network has covered more than 150 countries and regions, achieving commendable results in markets in North America, Australia, Europe and Southeast Asia, according to Weng.

In 2023, industry research and consulting organization Frost & Sullivan certified Wanglaoji as the No 1 natural plant-based drink in the world.

In 2019, at the Fortune Global Science and Technology Forum, Wanglaoji joined hands with Switzerland's SGS and the World Federation of Societies of Traditional Chinese Medicine to release the world's first international standard for herbal tea beverages.

In the process of accelerating its global branding strategy, the company also released its international brand identity in Milan and Bangkok early this year.

"We want to seize the new opportunities of economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe and Southeast Asia, to bring WALOVI into more overseas local markets through more in-depth and wider cooperation and turn Wanglaoji into a global super beverage brand," said Li Chuyuan, chairman of Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Ltd, parent company of Wanglaoji.