Canadian Company Vitality Air Sells Bottled Air To China; Company Sees Huge Demand From Chinese Consumers
A Canadian company is seeing opportunities in selling bottled fresh air to China as the country reportedly recorded an increase in the level of air pollution last month. According to reports, six cities outside Beijing are listed with the most polluted air in November. These cities include Xingtai, Baoding, Shijiazhuang, Langfang, Tangshan and Hengshui.
Amid problem, Canadian firm Vitality Air said they are seeing huge demands from Chinese consumers who seemed to like the idea of bottled fresh air. The company said 500 canisters immediately sold out after the product was made available in China last month.
"Now we're taking lots of pre orders for our upcoming shipment. We're getting close to the 1,000 mark," said China operations director Harrison Wang, as noted by CNN Thursday.
According to reports, bottled air price ranges from $14 to $20 depending on its size.
A co-founder of Vitality Air revealed he came up with the initiative last year.
"We wanted to do something fun and disruptive so we decided to see if we could sell air," said Moses Lam.
He goes on, "It's time consuming because every one of these bottles is hand bottled. We're dealing with fresh air, we want it to be fresh and we don't want to run it through machines which are oiled and greased."
"In North America, we take our fresh air for granted but in China the situation is very different."
On its official website, the company explained the importance of clean air.
"The truth is we've begun to appreciate the clean, pure and refreshing taste of quality water," the company posted, as noted by CNBC Tuesday. "Air is going the same way."
"Just like bottled water, premium air is a growing industry because people are noticing the difference."
Bryan Roberts, SVP and knowledge officer at Kantar Retail, said is not surprise to learn about the unique business idea.
"Clearly, the issue of clean air is incredibly important in countries or cities afflicted by severe pollution, so it is no great surprise to see Vitality Air selling well in the Chinese market," he said.
Roberts added, "Regardless of the efficacy of the product as a solution, one can only admire entrepreneurs that have created a high growth business on this need, or perceived need."
