Austrian chocolate brand sees sweet prospects in Chinese market

VIENNA — In the small town of Bergl in Styria, Austria, there's a "chocolate theater" that draws over 2,000 visitors daily during peak summer months. Over 8,000 kilometers away in Shanghai, there's an almost identical chocolate theater that attracts locals and tourists.

These two theaters are chocolate-themed experience stores opened by Austrian chocolate company Zotter. They integrate tastings with handson experiences, film screenings and exhibitions.

Julia Zotter, junior CEO of the company, says that since entering the Chinese market, the company has received support from the local government and gained the affection of Chinese consumers. Looking to the future, the company has full confidence in the Chinese economy and hopes to deepen cooperation with China.

Zotter is an Austrian family-owned chocolate company founded in 1987 by Josef Zotter. During high school, Josef Zotter's daughter Julia Zotter spent a year in China as an exchange student, where she experienced warm Chinese hospitality and learned to appreciate Chinese culture. When Zotter was considering the company's expansion into new markets, his daughter persuaded the family to explore the Chinese market.

She advocated for introducing a novel business model to China — establishing offline experience stores like the Austrian chocolate theater, where consumers could taste the treats and participate in the chocolate-making process, helping to cultivate a local chocolate culture. In 2014, the Zotter Chocolate Theatre opened in Shanghai's Yangpu District and quickly became a hit.

After more than a decade in the Chinese market, Julia says that China's opening-up policy and favorable business environment have greatly benefited foreign companies like Zotter.

"When we first entered the Chinese market, we were unfamiliar with its many laws and regulations. However, the Shanghai government provided us with great support, and the locals were very receptive. We also found excellent partners who helped us resolve any problems," she says. "For a brand like Zotter, which focuses on providing consumer experiences, it would have been difficult to implement our business model without that support."

Zotter has participated in the China International Import Expo since 2018, attracting tens of thousands of visitors every year. Reflecting on her experiences at the event, Julia describes them as "amazing".

"We exhibited chocolates of different flavors and designs at the Zotter booth, which attracted many people to visit and taste them. Because there were so many people queuing for the tastings, it even caused congestion," she recalls. At the 2025 CIIE in November, Zotter will unveil 50 new products and introduce a new product line.

Through these opportunities, Julia has also witnessed the resilience of the Chinese economy. "Since the pandemic, China's consumption levels have recovered, and demand for high-quality products and services is increasing," she says, adding that both market demand for Zotter's chocolates and the number of visitors to the company's chocolate theater in China have grown.

Xinhua