Natalie Zhao currently serves as Market Director of China Oils Business at Cargill Ag and Trading Group, overseeing strategic planning, product development and management, brand strategy, and marketing communications.
Natalie joined Cargill in June 2013 as a Strategy Associate in the Corporate Strategy & Business Development Group. In October 2016, she transitioned to the Oils Business Unit, where she held pivotal roles including Strategic Marketing Manager and Pricing Lead, solidifying her expertise in comprehensive marketing management and cultivating deep insights into the F&B and foodservice industries. Under her leadership, Cargill pioneered the industry-first big data platform for the bakery and foodservice sectors, driving continuous innovation across the value chain. Prior to Cargill, Natalie spent three years at Whirlpool China, advancing from a Marketing Management Trainee to an Assistant Marketing Manager.
Natalie earned her Dual Bachelor’s Degrees (Bachelor of Arts in Business English and Bachelor of Economics in Accounting) from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE) in 2008. Following her tenure at Whirlpool, she pursued a Full-Time MBA at CEIBS (China Europe International Business School), graduating with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2013.
Since its launch in 2019, Sam's Club's Swiss Roll has generated over RMB 1 billion in annual sales, contributing 8–10% of monthly revenue per store. At Freshippo, half of the top 50 best-selling items are bakery products. As baked goods thrive in retailers like Sam's and Freshippo, supermarkets are prioritizing bakery upgrades during store revamps. For instance, after remodeling, bakery's share of sales at Yonghui's Jinshan store in Shanghai jumped from 5% to 20%. Once a quiet corner, the bakery section is now a traffic magnet on the retail floor. Behind this boom lies collaboration across suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers. In this session, we'll explore:
- What structural shifts are shaping the bakery category? Why is supermarket bakery booming?
- Beyond value-for-money and health trends, what consumer preferences are driving sales?
- As supermarkets undergo upgrades, how should bakery offerings evolve in response?
- From ingredient sourcing to R&D to in-store execution — how can full-chain innovation be achieved in supermarket bakery?