Recently, there has been a big discussion on the price of ice cream on the Internet: when did ice cream sell so expensive?
How much should ice cream sell for?
Is there a problem with the expensive ice cream?
Zhong Xuegao also became one of the protagonists of this round of discussions.
As said in "The True Story of A Cake" circulating on the Internet, "Life is like Zhong Xuegao, you never know what the next life will taste like." What Zhong Xuegao didn't expect was that after a year, this time it was hot. In addition to "expensive", there is another "ice cream can't be burned".
In response to the hot search words "Zhong Xuegao does not melt at room temperature of 31 degrees for 1 hour" and the problem of additives, Zhong Xuegao responded one by one: "There is no ice cream that does not melt", "Use baking ice cream, drying ice cream or heating ice cream." It is not scientific to evaluate the quality of ice-cream in the same way” and “the amount of carrageenan added meets the national standard”.
On July 6, according to the Shanghai Municipal Market Supervision and Administration Bureau, in the past few days, the Shanghai Fengxian District Market Supervision and Administration Bureau has carried out a comprehensive special inspection of relevant prices in response to the recently discussed "ice cream assassin" phenomenon, focusing on inspections in canteens, supermarkets, and cold drinks. Wholesale stores and other market entities fail to clearly mark the price according to regulations, price gouging and other illegal acts in the process of selling ice cream.
The inspection found that most of the stores in the jurisdiction can achieve clear prices and alignment of labels.
At the same time as the inspection, the law enforcement officers also warned the operators that they must clearly price all the goods and earnestly fulfill their responsibilities.
The issue of "expensiveness" is not new to Zhong Xuegao. Last year, Zhong Xuegao was hotly discussed because of the "most expensive ice cream" of 66 yuan. This year, the original price of "Xing Yu Nian" ice cream was priced at 68 yuan by scalpers to 200 yuan. .
Carrying the label of "high-priced ice cream", how about Zhong Xuegao's sales as the representative of "ice cream assassin"?
Will consumers vote with their feet?
6 hot searches in 6 days
What did Zhong Xuegao hit his waist again this time?
The Weibo hot search search engine shows that from July 1st to July 6th, Zhong Xuegao made 6 hot searches in 6 days, mainly focusing on the two things "ice cream does not melt for a long time" and "ice cream does not burn". a theme.
In response to the problem of ice cream that does not melt for a long time, Zhong Xuegao said that "there is no ice cream that does not melt", "The solid content is high and the water is low. After it is completely melted, it will naturally become viscous and will not completely spread into a pool of water. , and no matter how the solid melts, it cannot become water." "It is not scientific to evaluate the quality of ice cream by baking, drying or heating ice cream."
Zhong Xuegao responded to the question of additives, saying that "carrageenan is widely used in ice cream, ice cream and drinks, and an appropriate amount of carrageenan helps the milk protein in ice cream to maintain a relatively stable state. The amount of carrageenan added in Zhong Xuegao's products is consistent with National standard."
After the related topic was fermented, it also triggered a public discussion on the safety of thickeners such as carrageenan.
In this regard, Ruan Guangfeng, director of the Science and Technology Communication Department of the Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center, told the Shell Finance reporter: "Thickeners can make raw materials more viscous, commonly used include xanthan gum, carrageenan, guar gum, etc. Their The function is to change the crystal form of the water during the freezing process, and it also makes the melted ice cream stick to the surface instead of dripping all over the place."
"The commonly used thickeners and edible gums are dietary fibers, which are very safe, so don't worry." Ruan Guangfeng told reporters: "From the results of previous related process research, there is usually a critical point. Under certain process conditions, appropriate The use of food additives such as thickeners can prolong the melting time, but after exceeding it, it will not have any effect, and considering the taste and cost, manufacturers will not add too much."
National senior food inspector Wang Silu told reporters that according to the provisions of GB 2760-2014 "National Food Safety Standard Food Additives Use Standards", carrageenan and guar gum are a kind of food that can be used in various types of food "according to production needs. Substances", from this "statement" it is clear that there is no limit value for carrageenan.
From another point of view, it also proves that the safety of thickeners such as carrageenan is very reliable and can be appropriately added to food.
Fundamentally, carrageenan and guar gum itself are a kind of "water-soluble dietary fiber", which will not be absorbed by the body after entering the body, and will eventually be excreted.
Zhong Xuegao's last "hot search week" was in June last year, and he made 6 hot searches in 4 days.
At that time, it was because of the controversy that "the most expensive ice cream is 66 yuan" and the apology for "the special red grape is actually a bulk red grape".
Later, on June 25, 2021, Zhong Xuegao was also listed on the hot search because he was named by the China Consumers Association, "Although the public opinion caused by false propaganda and price disputes of some Internet celebrity ice creams is somewhat accidental, the onlookers are very popular. , The duration is long, and there are many hot topics." The China Consumers Association said.
When the price "stabs" your ice cream,
The traditional way of small profits but quick turnover will not work?
Why is ice cream more and more expensive?
How was the "ice cream assassin" represented by Zhong Xue Gao born?
First of all, what is an "ice cream assassin"?
Refers to those ice creams that are hidden in the freezer and look unremarkable, but when you pay for them, they will "stab" you with their price.
So, why is ice cream more and more expensive?
Raw material cost hikes seem to be on the answer board forever.
Some practitioners told Shell Finance reporters that in the cost of ice cream, raw materials account for the highest proportion, usually around 60%.
"For different types of ice cream and ice cream, the proportion of raw material cost will fluctuate to a certain extent. For example, pure milk will be higher, and fresh fruit, etc. In contrast, the proportion of raw material cost of ice products will be lower."
According to iiMedia Research's survey data, from 2008 to 2020, the cost of raw materials such as milk and whipped cream has risen by about 80%.
In addition, in the midstream, manufacturing and logistics warehousing are also boosting ice cream prices.
Recently, Mr. Li, the person in charge of the Snow Lotus brand, who has been on the hot search for "the price of 50 cents a pack, has not increased in 13 years" said, "We are also considering the needs of netizens for online shopping, and are actively thinking of countermeasures. If you sell online, the logistics cost It will be more expensive than the snow lotus itself."
A number of industry insiders told reporters that in recent years, the cost of warehousing and logistics has been rising, and the superimposed epidemic has led to higher transportation costs.
Changes in downstream industries have also boosted the ice cream market.
iiMedia Research said that the traditional road of small profits but quick turnover is becoming more and more difficult to take.
If ice cream brands want to survive, they must innovate, and the layout of high-end products seems to be the road of change for many brands.
From product design, packaging, the use of raw materials, to curious flavors and brand co-branding, ice cream manufacturers have extraordinary methods.
In the era of traffic, it is inevitable that some businesses will attract consumers through celebrity endorsements and other methods.
A reporter from Shell Finance learned from an ice cream brand that its sales model is not only online and offline, but also sold to distributors. The first-level distributors sell to the second-level distributors, and the second-level distributors then sell to supermarkets and convenience stores. Stores and so on, and then the product will be sold to consumers.
Each level of sales in these links will earn a profit ranging from 10% to 30%.
Jiang Han, a senior researcher at Pangu Think Tank, believes that for the current market, high-priced ice cream is actually a normal phenomenon, but the risk is also very high, because high-priced products often have a shorter life cycle, and more rely on traffic and marketing to enhance market competitiveness .
Therefore, under such a background, high-priced ice cream is likely to belong to the type of ice cream that is rapidly rising and declining.
Some net red products were fried to 200 yuan by scalpers,
How to make the brand go further?
In recent years, Zhong Xuegao has been on the cusp of the storm and can be called an "Internet celebrity".
After the "most expensive ice cream" of 66 yuan appeared last year, Zhong Xuegao's "Apricot Yu Nian" ice cream, originally priced at 68 yuan this year, was sold by scalpers to 200 yuan.
Despite the "high-priced ice cream" label, its online channel sales are still far ahead.
It is understood that the "Juvenile Series" jointly developed by Zhong Xuegao and the National Olympic Sports Center has achieved sales of over 20 million yuan in just 72 days.
In the 2022 June 18 promotion that just ended, Zhong Xuegao ranked first in the June 18 Tmall ice category for the third consecutive year.
However, Internet celebrity products are often unable to escape the short-lived curse. Can Zhong Xuegao get rid of this fate?
Last year, Lin Sheng, founder of Zhong Xuegao, said in an interview with the Beijing News Shell Finance reporter, "Internet celebrity is a ferry for a brand to cross the river to reach consumers' hearts." the road".
At the same time, he himself is not willing to actively embrace the title of "Internet celebrity", "Zhong Xuegao wants to go for a long time and a long distance, not just a gust of wind."
How to make the brand go further?
In June of this year, Zhou Bing, co-founder and vice president of Zhong Xuegao, told reporters: "It has been more than four years since Zhong Xuegao appeared in May 2018. During these four years, our production volume, Sales have increased year by year, and in the past four years, Zhong Xuegao has entered the public's field of vision as a new domestic brand."
"Zhong Xuegao's overall performance is in a state of steady growth. At present, it has covered nearly 400,000 terminals in more than 200 cities across the country, and the southwest region has completed the sales of last year in the first quarter." Zhou Bing said.
In terms of channels, in August last year, Lin Sheng told reporters: "Zhong Xuegao was established in 2018. At first, it mainly focused on online, and in 2020, it developed to offline. At present, the proportion of online and offline sales can reach 5:5. "
Beijing News Shell Finance reporter Yan Xia