When the year is full again, the moon is fat, but the mooncakes are "slim"

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　　Editor's note:

　　This is the People's Livelihood Investigation Bureau, which has never seen people's livelihood.

Follow what you want to follow and what you didn't follow, and investigate what you want to see and haven't seen.

　　Chinanews client, Beijing, September 24th (Zuo Yukun) The Mid-Autumn Festival of the year coincides with the rare double festival. How can we lose the sense of ceremony brought by mooncakes?

　　Recently, the production and sales of moon cakes have become more and more popular.

However, under the general environment of "strict economy and opposing waste", this year's mooncakes are popular with "simple style" and "mini style".

The moon is getting fatter, but the mooncakes are quietly "thinning".

Mooncake area in the supermarket.

Photo by Zuo Yukun

This year’s mooncakes are not expensive, and traditional flavors are still the mainstream

　　In mid-September, half a month before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ms. Chen, who was in Shandong, got up early to buy moon cakes.

The moon cakes of this restaurant are quite famous in the local area, and they are not sold every year until the week before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Despite the light rain that day, there was still a long line in front of the sales office.

　　Ms. Chen bought traditional five-nut, bean paste and chestnut moon cakes, as well as her daughter’s favorite lotus seed paste and egg yolk and this year’s new spiced beef moon cakes.

"We still eat more old flavors, and the children would like to taste the fresh ones." Ms. Chen said.

　　According to the staff of the sales office, although traditional mooncakes are still the best, they will still innovate every year. This year they launched chocolate hazelnut mooncakes, red wine cranberry mooncakes, and jujube cakes that are popular among young people. Wait for new flavors.

Citizens lined up to buy moon cakes.

Photo courtesy of respondents

　　"As the people pay more attention to traditional festivals, the sales of Mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival show a steady upward trend." According to iiMedia Consulting's data, the sales of mooncakes in 2015 reached 13.18 billion yuan, and the sales of mooncakes in China in 2019 reached 1.38 billion. The scale reached 19.67 billion yuan.

　　“The best-selling mooncakes this year are still the traditional flavors. Five kernels have the highest sales, followed by pretzel and bean paste.” Ms. Zhu, the person in charge of a mooncake supplier in a supermarket in Beijing, told Chinanews.com. Among them, some snowy mooncakes, especially snowy durian, sell well, and people are more able to accept this new taste.

　　Ms. Zhu said that due to the impact of the epidemic, moon cake manufacturers have lowered the price of moon cakes compared to previous years in order to attract consumption: "The overall price of moon cakes this year is relatively close to the people, focusing on economic benefits."

　　For example, a new Shen Dacheng Soviet-style mooncakes this year, there are 6 in a bag, the price is 15.8 yuan, and one is only two yuan.

"The price is not high and the taste is good. This year's sales are particularly good." Ms. Zhu said.

　　In addition to being inexpensive, the "look" of mooncakes has also changed.

Mooncakes make a big transformation

　　Chinanews.com found in a supermarket in Xicheng District, Beijing, that most of this year's mooncakes were "successful in weight loss" from packaging to size, some were "simple in dress", and some were even directly "faced up".

　　"I just took a few hundred orders. The group purchase price is 22.9 yuan, which is a really simple package of moon cakes." Ms. Zhu told Chinanews.com that the price of this moon cake is not high, but it contains eight five kernels. Mooncakes with traditional flavors, such as glutinous rice, jujube paste, and bean paste, are popular as gifts and for self-eating.

Bulk moon cakes in the supermarket.

Photo by Zuo Yukun

　　In recent years, with the development of the festival economy, many traditional delicacies are gradually being socialized and monetized. "Every holiday season is worth more money" has become a real feeling of many people.

　　But the fact is that most of the money is not spent on the gift itself, but on the outer packaging.

Many people feel that after receiving the moon cake gift box, the most terrifying thing is that the box does not know what to do when the moon cake is eaten; the most terrible thing is that the box does not know what to do, and the moon cake can’t be finished.

　　This year's Mid-Autumn Festival, under the general environment of "practicing economy and opposing waste", "moon cake slimming" has become the general trend of the industry.

　　On September 17, the Zhejiang Provincial Market Supervision Bureau issued the "Announcement on Regulating the Production and Operation of Mooncakes", requiring reasonable packaging of mooncakes. The cost of all packaging should not exceed the sales of the product, except for the packaging directly in contact with the contents. 20% of the price.

　　"Our packaging has always taken a relatively simple and environmentally friendly route. The packaging materials used are generally recyclable iron boxes and cartons. This year we have paid more attention." Guo Yaping, deputy general manager of Beijing Daoxiangcun Food Co., Ltd. told Chinanews.com.

　　According to Guo Yaping, there are relatively few new gift boxes launched in Daoxiang Village in Beijing this year. There are only six new designs plus three co-branded ones, and the cost accounts for about 15% of the entire moon cake cost.

　　"In addition to making gift boxes that are environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and can be used for storage and other secondary use, we also introduced self-packing boxes. Consumers can DIY the boxes in stores and choose to pack them by themselves." Guo Yaping said, the cost of self-packing boxes It's even lower, no more than ten dollars.

Citizens lined up to buy moon cakes.

Photo courtesy of respondents

　　According to the "2020 National Mooncake Industry Development Trend Report" issued by the China Bakery and Sugar Products Industry Association, the price of most mooncake gift boxes this year is concentrated in the range of 80 to 160 yuan, and mid-priced products are still the main products in the market.

Mooncakes are thinner and thinner. Mini healthy mooncakes are sought after

　　Moon cakes have been "successful in weight loss", and people who eat moon cakes naturally have to consider their health issues. Mini moon cakes and healthy moon cakes came into being.

　　According to Guo Yaping, the earliest mooncakes used to pay attention to "five heads per catty", each of 125g; now there are almost no such big ones. They are all making 110g, 85g, and 45g. The trend of "small mooncakes" is increasing. Obviously, this is all due to changes in product characteristics and consumer demand.

　　"Mini moon cakes are really popular this year, because there are so many choices and the price is more appropriate. On average, a small moon cake is about one yuan." Ms. Zhu told Chinanews.com.

Mini moon cakes in the supermarket.

Photo courtesy of respondents

　　Small size is one aspect. To be healthy, low calories are more important.

　　"Early traditional moon cakes with high oil and sugar were passed down to us by our ancestors. There was no problem in the era of shortage of supplies. But this is not the case now. We have been making healthy, delicious and edible moon cakes since ten years ago. "Guo Yaping said.

　　According to Guo Yaping, reducing oil and sugar is also the trend of the entire industry. In addition to sugar-alcohol series sugar-free mooncakes, many new flavors such as yogurt mooncakes and Soviet passion fruit mooncakes are not too sweet. Consumers can choose according to their needs.

Cross-border co-branding is popular, and all milk tea sellers and bag sellers are selling moon cakes.

　　The moon cake industry is developing in a better and better direction, and this big cake has also attracted more and more predators.

In addition to the Starbucks and other tea brands that young people love, they have cross-border; even many luxury brands have also "stepped off the altar" to join in the excitement.

　　Qi Feng (pseudonym) has been purchasing the Mid-Autumn Festival moon cake gift box recently.

He told Chinanews.com that when he was busiest, he could deliver 70 or 80 boxes of goods a day alone.

　　"The Bulgari mooncake gift box is the most popular. The gift box of the Naxue co-branded Forbidden City is the biggest dark horse. Many big names have begun to pay attention to Chinese festivals. LV, Dior, Tiffany, and Gucci have all released gift boxes, which were not available in previous years. "Said Qi Feng, who has been in the purchasing business for many years.

　　According to Qi Feng, these cross-border co-branded gift boxes are not like traditional gift boxes which are just stacked in layers of paper shells. Instead, they have exquisite designs. Some are made into lanterns, some are made into music boxes, and even There are also the look of ancient women's makeup and ancient food boxes, which are very creative.

Moon cake gift box made into lantern style.

Image source: Lady M's official WeChat account in Mainland China

　　"To be honest, people who buy this kind of gift box are not for mooncakes, but for this kind of'artwork'." Qi Feng said.

　　No matter how wonderful the design is, in Qi Feng's view, the essence of the moon cake gift box is still moon cakes.

"Some cross-border joint mooncakes are not delicious. Everyone just makes a fresh picture and will not have user stickiness. In the future, when everyone sees a better design, they will naturally switch to other homes."

　　"So I think that the follow-up efforts have to look at the time-honored brands. I will put more energy into Daoxiangcun, Fuhuazhai, Baoshifu and other brands in the future." Qi Feng said.

　　“There must be an impact, but to be honest, there is also self-confidence.” Guo Yaping believes that a seasonal product like mooncakes is actually a cultural product: “The crossover of enterprises is also a traditional This social atmosphere is also a good thing for the spread and inheritance of festival culture."

　　"But from the perspective of making mooncakes, we, as a professional enterprise, have a complete set of mooncake quality and safety control systems in operation from raw material control to process control to the final delivery. Our confidence comes from here." Guo Yaping It is mentioned that many traditional brands are also doing cross-borders themselves. This year, the moon cakes and themed gift boxes co-branded by Beijing Daoxiang Village and the Forbidden City, Yili Yogurt, and Renmin Creative are all very well recognized by consumers.

　　The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming. What kind of moon cakes are you going to buy this year?

(Finish)