China News Service, Ningbo, March 1st: Title: New consumption trend of "Generation Z": grabbing "leftovers" and opening "blind boxes"
Author Lin Bo
Bread of 33 yuan (RMB, the same below) can be "picked up" for 15.9 yuan, fruit for 70 yuan can be bought at half price, and roasted seeds and nuts for 50 yuan can be bought for 19.9 yuan... These are the prices of Xiao Li (pseudonym), a citizen of Ningbo, Zhejiang. A "blind box of leftovers" purchased on the same day.
The "leftovers" in the "leftover blind box" do not refer to leftovers, but the "surplus food" that merchants overproduce but cannot sell out.
Using the blind box format favored by young consumers, merchants carry out inventory clearance sales of their products.
Recently, a clerk at a bakery in Ningbo was packing "blind boxes of leftovers."
Photo by Lin Bo
"This time I snapped up bread from a bakery. The price is 15.9 yuan and there are three kinds of bread in it." Xiao Li is a "post-00s". She said that the taste of the bread in the "leftovers blind box" is the same as that bought in daily life. There is no difference between "non-discounted" foods. The main difference is that there are fewer choices, which are usually leftover products from the store.
Xiao Li said with a smile: "I really like the experience of opening blind boxes. Sometimes when I open a super value cake, I feel like I'm making a lot of money."
"Blind boxes are mainly bought by young people around the age of 20, and affordability is the main reason for their purchase." Mr. Ren is a "post-95s generation" who runs a bakery shop in Ningbo.
He said that since the products produced in the store are mainly freshly baked and sold, it is inevitable that there will be "leftovers" during the sales process.
The bread in the "leftover blind box" that Ningbo citizen Xiao Li recently purchased.
(Photo provided by interviewee)
"The launch of the 'Leftovers Blind Box' is mainly based on the principle of no waste." According to Mr. Ren, the store launched the "Leftovers Blind Box" in early 2024, which mainly sells leftover bread on the same day, with about three online sales every day. Most of the "blind boxes" are sold out as soon as they go online.
"Leftover blind box" reduces catering waste to a certain extent, is creative and mutually helpful, not only satisfies consumers' curiosity and freshness, is more affordable, but also promotes environmental protection and "CD-ROM", and has become The new consumption trend of "Generation Z".
The reporter found that many cities such as Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai have launched a number of service platforms focusing on "blind boxes of leftovers". In addition to daily baking and drinks, there are also light meals, braised cooked food, snacks, Flowers and other "blind boxes".
The prices of online products are generally "30% off" or "40% off".
"At first, grabbing the 'blind box of leftovers' was out of curiosity, but now grabbing 'leftovers' has become a new trend." Yang Shasha, a post-00s girl, is a college student in Hangzhou. With the recommendation, she fell in love with buying “blind boxes of leftovers”.
From slowly selecting at the beginning to setting the "online reminder", Yang Shasha grabbed the "blind box of leftovers" faster and faster.
In fact, as a new way of consumption, the popularity of "blind boxes of leftovers" is also a manifestation of curbing "waste on the tip of the tongue."
Cheap, high-quality, and environmentally friendly, these are the main reasons why Yang Shasha became a fan of the "leftover blind box".
In her opinion, in the face of "demand", purchasing "blind boxes of leftovers" can reduce food waste and serve multiple purposes. She will also "benefit" this method to more people.
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