ENTER ASIA · MARKET ENTRY CONSULTING
Asia market entry strategy, built by operators.
Most market-entry frameworks were written for consultants. Ours was built by people who have opened and operated the stores. CANnect Asia's market entry consulting takes F&B brands from "should we?" to trading, across East and Southeast Asia.
HOW WE WORK
Brands don't fail in Asia. Their entry strategy does.
International market entry fails predictably: the wrong first market, the wrong entry mode, a partner chosen for enthusiasm rather than capability, or a model transplanted without adaptation. Our market entry process is designed around those four failure points, so your expansion capital buys growth instead of lessons.
Where We Work
17 markets. One regional network.
Senior operators, consultants and project specialists across East and Southeast Asia, engaged market by market as your project requires.
Core ASEAN
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- Thailand
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- Vietnam
North Asia
- Japan
- South Korea
- China
- Hong Kong
- Taiwan
Emerging ASEAN
- Cambodia
- Myanmar
- Laos
- Brunei
We maintain active networks across the region and beyond. Not operating in your target market yet? We design for entry in any economy across East and Southeast Asia.
WHAT MARKET ENTRY CONSULTING INCLUDES
From first analysis to first trading day.
01
Market Entry Analysis & Prioritisation
Category sizing, competitor mapping, consumer and pricing analysis across candidate markets, resolved into a ranked entry sequence.
02
Readiness & Risk Assessment
A clear-eyed view of whether your brand, supply chain, economics and team are ready, and what to fix before entry rather than after.
03
Market Entry Modes & Model Selection
Foreign market entry modes compared on capital, control, speed and risk: franchise, JV, direct, licensing, distribution or partnership.
04
Market Entry Plan & Business Case
A board-ready market entry plan: financial model, partner profile, site strategy, regulatory path, timeline and success metrics.
05
Entry Execution
Partner search and engagement, deal support, site selection, launch project management and opening, led on the ground by our regional team.
MARKET ENTRY FAQ
Straight answers to the questions every board asks.
What is a market entry framework, and why does it matter for F&B?
A market entry framework is the structured sequence a brand follows to select, enter and scale in a new market: analysis, readiness, entry mode, plan, execution. In F&B it matters more than in most categories because supply chains, halal and regulatory requirements, real estate and taste preferences vary sharply between Asian markets. A generic framework misses exactly the variables that decide whether your first store trades.
Which Asian market should we enter first?
It depends on your format, price point, supply chain and capital. Singapore is a common proof-of-concept market for Western brands because of its transparency and talent, but it is not always the right first move. The diagnostic exists to answer this question for your brand specifically, with numbers.
Franchise, JV or corporate: which market entry mode is best?
None is best in the abstract. Franchising trades control for speed and local capital. Joint ventures balance control and local capability but demand careful deal structuring. Corporate entry maximises control and capital risk. We match the mode to each market's conditions and your appetite, and many successful regional plays mix modes across markets.
How long does market entry into Southeast Asia take?
From decision to first store, a well-run F&B market entry typically takes 9 to 18 months depending on the market, entry mode and how quickly the right partner and site are secured. The strategy phase itself usually runs 8 to 12 weeks.
Do you work with food products and FMCG brands, or only restaurants?
Both. Route-to-market design, distributor search and retail entry for packaged food, FMCG and manufacturing brands is one of our ten core services, run by specialists from those categories.