Retail / news brief
Shanghai’s ‘Avocado Lady’ Transformed Local Grocery Scene
For decades, Jiang Qin’s tiny grocery on Wulumuqi Road supplied Shanghai’s international community with avocados and other imported foods, earning her the nickname 'Avocado Lady.'
Jiang Qin began selling avocados in the late 2000s, when the fruit was still rare outside high-end supermarkets in Shanghai. Her shop on Wulumuqi Road, near Anfu Road, became a go-to destination for expatriates and locally minded customers seeking ingredients like fresh basil and imported herbs.
Before her avocado success, Jiang and her mother sold eggs, earning them the neighborhood moniker 'Egg Ladies.' Self-taught in English, she built a business around the changing tastes of central Shanghai’s growing international community.
Her efforts did not go unnoticed. In 2018, ProMéxico, a Mexican trade and investment agency, honored Jiang for helping popularize Mexican avocados in China. Her ability to source products that other grocers overlooked made her shop a fixture for decades.