The Competitiveness of Thai Durian Export Enterprises to China: A Case Study of HKK Trading & Processing Co., Ltd.
Main Article Content
บทคัดย่อ
This research aimed to (1) analyze the competitive strategies of HKK Trading & Processing Co., Ltd. in the Chinese durian market, (2) identify strategies for enhancing the competitiveness of Thai durian export companies, and (3) evaluate the challenges and opportunities for HKK in expanding its market share in China. The study employed a case study methodology using qualitative interviews and multi-criteria decision-making tools, including SWOT and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) analysis. The AHP sample consisted of five key customers located in China who had consistently purchased from HKK between 2021 and 2024. Their input was used to determine priority factors influencing supplier selection. The findings reveal three key insights. First, the recommended strategic direction emphasizes expanding marketing channels in China by leveraging the firm’s technological expertise in vacuum freeze-drying. In this area, HKK has accumulated over a decade of experience. Second, the AHP evaluation, based on the 7Rs logistics framework, yielded a consistency ratio of 0.07, confirming acceptable reliability. Among the criteria, “Right Quality” (Product Quality as Required) was ranked as the highest priority with a weight of 0.187, followed by “Right Source” and “Right Service.” Third, while HKK demonstrates strong internal competencies and technological differentiation, sustaining its market position requires a proactive approach to emerging external threats. These include increasing regional competition, rising logistics costs, and evolving consumer expectations. The company must enhance operational efficiency, ensure sustainable sourcing practices, and continually refine its strategic planning to maintain its leadership in the premium durian export segment.
Article Details

อนุญาตภายใต้เงื่อนไข Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
ทัศนะและความคิดเห็นที่ปรากฏในวารสาร ถือเป็นความรับผิดชอบของผู้เขียนบทความนั้น และไม่ถือเป็นทัศนะและความรับผิดชอบของกองบรรณาธิการ
เอกสารอ้างอิง
Ajzen, I. (2020). The theory of planned behavior: frequently asked questions. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2(4), 314-324. DOI: 10.1002/hbe2.195
Asana. (2024). Workflow management and competitor tracking: strategic tools for SMEs. https://asana.com
ASEAN Secretariat. (2020). ASEAN-China free trade area: opportunities for trade in agricultural products. https://asean.org/
ASEAN Secretariat. (2022). ASEAN–China Free Trade Area (ACFTA): overview and key features. https://asean.org/our-communities/economic-community/asean-china-free-trade-area-acfta/
Billsiman, K. (2023). Innovation and sustainability: the dual path to business competitiveness. Journal of Business Strategy. (Advance online publication).
Bozzola, M., Delzeit, R., & Hirsch, S. (2021). Strategic value chain partnerships in agri-food exports: Lessons for SMEs. Food Policy, 103, 102021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2021.102021
Chen, J., & Zhang, H. (2021). Durian Demand in China: An Economic and Cultural Analysis. Asian Agricultural Journal, 45(3), 112-125. https://www.examplejournal.org/article/aaaj453112
Czaplińska, A., & Romanowski, M. (2024). Business model resilience in SME food exporters: Strategic implications under volatility. Journal of International Business Strategy, 9(1), 66-79.
Dobrowolski, Z., & Sulkowski, Ł. (2021). Business model canvas for sustainable enterprises in the energy sector. Energies, 14(3), 612. DOI: 10.3390/en14030612
Dudin, M. N., Ivashchenko, N. P., Shatokhin, Y. V., & Kravchenko, M. V. (2021). Strategic management models in modern organizations: From SWOT to VRIO. International Journal of Economics and Business Administration, 9(1), 65-76. DOI: 10.35808/ijeba/641
Fitriani, E. (2022). Study TOWS analysis on Reisberg to increase its competitiveness. International Journal of Management Research and Economics, 3(1), 45-53. DOI: 10.37227/IJMRE-030103
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2019). The state of food and agriculture 2019: Moving forward on food loss and waste reduction. FAO. https://www.fao.org/3/ca6030en/ca6030en.pdf
Hajirahimova, M., & Asadov, A. (2021). Digital SWOT: Integrating artificial intelligence and big data into strategic analysis. Procedia Computer Science, 192, 502-509. DOI: 10.1016/j.procs.2021.08.052
HKK Trading & Processing Co., Ltd. (2024). Internal strategic planning and logistics performance report[Unpublished company document].
Huang, S., Li, X., & Zhou, T. (2022). The Role of Social Media in Promoting Thai Agricultural Exports: A Case Study of Durian. Journal of Digital Marketing in Asia, 8(2), 98-110.
Jongwanich, J. (2021). Thailand’s Competitive Advantage in the Durian Export Market. Southeast Asian Journal of Economics, 39(1), 75-93.
Kahraman, C., Çebi, S., Onar, S. Ç., & Öztayşi, B. (2022). Recent developments on fuzzy AHP & ANP under vague and imprecise data: Evidence from INFUS Conferences. International Journal of the Analytic Hierarchy Process, 14(2). DOI: 10.13033/ijahp. v14i2.1033
Kingkeaw, P. (2020). Eco-sourcing practices in Thai fruit exports: A sustainability perspective. Journal of Agricultural Logistics, 5(1), 45-59.
Kowitt, B. (2020). How freeze-dried fruit became a health food staple. Bloomberg Businessweek. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-10/how-freeze-dried-fruit-became-a-health-food-staple
Kusumawardhani, D. A., Firmansyah, F., & Prasetyo, A. B. (2021). Implementation of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for supplier selection in food SMEs. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management, 14(2), 255-266. DOI: 10.3926/jiem.3477
Market Research Future. (2023). Freeze-dried food market: Trends, forecasts, and regional insights 2023-2030. https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/freeze-dried-food-market-2183
Ministry of Commerce, Thailand. (2022). Annual report on agricultural exports. https://www.moc.go.th
Ministry of Commerce, Thailand. (2023). Annual report on Thai agricultural exports and cost competitiveness. https://www.moc.go.th/th/news/category/index/id/51
NielsenIQ. (2022). Asia’s snacking trends: Health, convenience, and digital shopping. https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/report/2022/snacking-in-asia-pacific/
Osterwalder, A., & Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business model generation: a handbook for visionaries, game changers, and challengers. Wiley.
Pertiwi, A., & Handoyo, S. (2023). Ethical considerations in qualitative interviews: Practical reflections for applied research. International Journal of Research Methodology, 10(1), 33-45.
Phadermrod, B., Crowder, R. M., & Wills, G. B. (2020). Importance–Performance Analysis based SWOT analysis. International Journal of Information Management, 44, 194–203. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2019.01.009
Porter, M.E. (2004). Competitive strategy: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors. Free Press.
Saaty, T. L. (2021). Fundamentals of decision making and priority theory with the analytic hierarchy process. RWS Publications.
Sequeira, M., Adlemo, A., & Hilletofth, P. (2022). A hybrid fuzzy-AHP-TOPSIS model for evaluation of manufacturing relocation decisions. Operations and Supply Chain Management, 15(2), 85-96. DOI: 10.1007/s12063-022-00284-6
Shah, A., & Warhade, V. (2023). Multi-criteria decision analysis in agribusiness: An overview of AHP and TOPSIS models. International Journal of Decision Support Systems, 9(1), 30-47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40070-023-00250-9
Sheikh, M. A., & Qureshi, S. (2023). Strategic agility and decision-making under uncertainty: A knowledge-based perspective. Journal of Strategy and Management, 16(2), 341-359. DOI: 10.1108/JSMA-06-2022-0124
Sparviero, S. (2019). The case for a socially oriented business model canvas: the social enterprise model canvas. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 10(2), 232-251. DOI: 10.1080/19420676.2018.1541011
Statista. (2023). Global freeze-dried food market revenue 2020–2028, by region. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1281195/global-freeze-dried-food-market-revenue-by-region/
Suryani, D. (2022). Determining sample sizes in qualitative research: How many is enough?. Qualitative Inquiry & Research, 6(2), 67-74.
The Bangkok Post. (2020, May 14). China keeps buying Thai durians despite pandemic. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1916704/china-keeps-buying-thai-durians-despite-pandemic
The Nation. (2018, April 20). Jack Ma shows e-commerce magic; 80,000 durians sold in a minute. https://www.nationthailand.com/business/30343624
Uzir Hassain, S. H., Salleh, N. M., & Rashid, S. M. (2021). The role of delivery performance in agri-food exports: Evidence from Southeast Asia. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 24(5), 497-514. DOI: 10.1080/13675567.2020.1831637
Wang, Y., Zhang, Y., & Liu, X. (2021). Freeze-dried fruits in China's snack market: A new trend in consumer behavior. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 27(2), 105–117. DOI: 10.1080/10454446.2021.1882330
Xinhua. (2024, April 1). Vietnam’s durian exports to China surge 105% in Q1. http://www.news.cn/english/2024-04/01/c_1310734208.htm
Yuliani, L. (2021). Framework synthesis in qualitative research: Combining interview data with policy analysis. Asian Journal of Qualitative Research, 3(1), 22-35.