{"id":10643,"date":"2022-07-19T07:30:06","date_gmt":"2022-07-19T07:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/?p=10643"},"modified":"2025-04-23T09:38:15","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T09:38:15","slug":"three-hot-summer-food-and-drink-trends-in-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/three-hot-summer-food-and-drink-trends-in-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Three hot summer food and drink trends in China"},"content":{"rendered":"

From KFC’s tea-only spin off brand to HeyTea’s new product based on a popular historical drama, recent developments in China\u2019s ice cream, energy drink and bubble tea markets show the importance of integrating Chinese cultural elements into your products. Qing Na from Dao Insights explores three key summer trends<\/h2>\n

It is getting harder to tickle the taste buds of Chinese consumers due to their rapidly-changing preferences and the lightning-fast pace of social and cultural trends. This market dynamic means that China\u2019s food and drink industry is constantly being shaken up, pushing market players to keep their fingers on the pulse of consumer palates and cater to the preferences of savvy shoppers like never before.<\/p>\n

With cooling summer treats coming to the forefront under the blazing sun, Dao Insights takes a closer look at three food and drink categories gathering pace as the country heats up.<\/p>\n

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Ice cream<\/h4>\n

Ice cream has always been the best remedy for a hot summer\u2019s day, but it has been undergoing a transformation in China in recent years. China\u2019s ice cream market has grown into the world\u2019s biggest, with a market value surpassing RMB 160 billion (\u00a320.08 billion) in 2021.<\/p>\n

This growth has brought about a market reshuffle, and the glory of formerly sought-after foreign players is fading, due in part to scandals such as Unilever\u2019s Magnum being accused of having \u201cdouble standards\u201d after it was found to be using powdered milk instead of fresh for its products in China. As a result, Chinese consumers are turning their backs on imported brands, and there has been a rise in homegrown ice cream brands, with local players like Chicecream, Zhongjie1946 and Modern becoming the country\u2019s most popular choices.<\/p>\n

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A Weibo poster for Chicecream’s low fat, low sugar chocolate ice cream<\/p><\/div>\n

While this new market structure has yet to be solidified, the industry is certainly going through a round of \u201cpremiumisation\u201d driven by increasing consumer awareness of ingredients and health benefits, sustainability, and the socio-cultural value of products. This has given rise to more sustainable practices in the industry, such as adopting low carbon manufacturing technology and using more organic, plant-based ingredients, as well as cutting down on \u201cunhealthy\u201d components such as sugar and fat.<\/p>\n

There is also an increasing trend of crossover marketing among ice cream brands with the goal of rejuvenating and refashioning their images to cater to the social requirements of China\u2019s young generations. This has given birth to innovative ice cream flavours including bubble tea, coffee and alcohol. Other trends include icy snacks in the shape of places of cultural or historical interest, such as the Temple of Heaven\u2019s iconic circular Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, which creates a strong connection to Chinese culture that appeals to nationalistic young consumers, as well as plenty of shareable photo opportunities.<\/p>\n