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relevant data show that the national snack and fast food market size in 2023 will increase by 12.6% compared with 2022. and supermarkets and shopping malls seem to be keenly aware of the recovery of catering. red star news reporters recently discovered that hema has launched business buffet lunches in many stores in chengdu, which has become a new choice for many people's work meals. at the same time,yonghui supermarketcommunity canteens have been opened in stores in sichuan, including about 30 in chengdu, and their model is also self-service meal selection.

according to media reports, olé, hualian and other brand supermarkets have also opened "convenience canteens". why do retail giants "compete" in the affordable fast food market? experts believe that opening supermarket canteens is not only a cross-border change for supermarkets to cope with fierce market competition, but also a response strategy to adapt to the trend of social consumption demand. industry insiders said that lunch, a rigid demand product, can not only directly increase sales revenue, but also drive sales of other products through high-frequency consumption.

journalist visitsa meal costs about 10-20 yuan

red star news reporter went to hema chengdu fortune store and saw that the basic version is priced by weight, priced at 2.68 yuan per liang, and the price is the same for meat and vegetables. among the self-selected dishes, meat includes chicken, duck, fish, pork, beef, shrimp, and bullfrog. there are also deluxe single-serving packages, such as a cold crucian carp, half a steamed sea bass with black beans, or seasonal seafood, which cost about 10 yuan. the reporter learned that such single-serving packages are mainly used to attract customers with special dishes, and rice and soup are free.

red star news reporter learned at the scene that considering that supermarkets have a peak customer flow in the evening, hema's self-service fast food only covers the lunch period, with sales starting at 11:00 noon and the number of diners reaching a peak around 12:00. the dishes are updated two to three times a day according to the season, and the taste is also as close to the local characteristics as possible. ms. zhang, a citizen, said that she is retired and it happened to be very hot these days, so she went to hema for lunch. the old couple ordered two fast food meals for less than 40 yuan, and the food was not bad, the ingredients were fresh, and it was relatively hygienic.

industry insiders analyzed that since its inception, hema has been a combination of catering and supermarkets, with everything from seafood processed on behalf of customers to barbecue hot pot. in addition, compared with ordinary supermarkets, hema stores have complete catering kitchens, and all chefs have more than 5 years of experience in the industry. they can process and sell food on site, and the taste is better than pre-prepared and reheated dishes.

red star news reporter noticed that hema's meal service is mainly self-operated and does not include delivery. in this regard, industry insiders said, "on the one hand, the profit of business meals is low and cannot cover the cost of online delivery; on the other hand, hema also has its own affiliated catering companies, leaving the online market to them."

coincidentally, yonghui supermarket has also opened community canteens in sichuan, including about 30 in chengdu. its model is also self-service selection and self-weighing, with an average price of about 15 yuan per person. red star news reporters found that it also has the same price for meat and vegetables, and focuses on the taste of home-cooked dishes. the dishes include twice-cooked pork, stewed dishes, and cold dishes. the price is 1.98 yuan/50g, and rice is 2 yuan per person. the central kitchen of yonghui canteen is set up inside yonghui supermarket. the raw materials for the dishes come from the supermarket retail area, and the traceability of the ingredients is guaranteed. "all our dishes are fried on the spot," said a yonghui supermarket staff member. yonghui canteen is open during lunch and dinner.

industry analysis why is it so popular to open cafeterias in supermarkets?

industry insiders said that supermarkets such as hema and yonghui have great advantages in selling affordable fast food. all ingredients come from their own supply system, with a rich variety of seafood, meat, vegetables, and fruits. they have stronger bargaining power and can greatly reduce costs. in addition, many costs of restaurants come from rent and labor, but supermarkets entering the lunch market do not need to increase additional labor and venue costs.

the person also said that lunch, a product with a strong demand, can not only directly increase sales revenue, but also drive sales of other products through high-frequency consumption.

a person close to hema told red star news that the current prices of self-service fast food in chengdu are relatively low, and its profit margin is already very slim. in addition, lunch itself faces the problems of short meal time and high labor costs. therefore, its customer acquisition function is more significant in operation, especially in attracting traffic to the adjacent seafood area and driving seafood promotions in the supermarket.

relevant data show that in 2023, the scale of the national fast food market will increase by 12.6% compared with 2022. among them, the market scale of chinese rice fast food will reach 251.3 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 13.8%, accounting for nearly 70% of the market share of the national catering industry.

according to a survey by iimedia research, chinese consumers are more likely to accept chinese fast food at a price of 20 yuan. among them, 43.7% of people have a budget of less than 20 yuan, and 85.2% of people can accept a price of no more than 30 yuan. as supermarkets and retail companies have become a trend to expand into catering, and consumers are becoming more and more sensitive to prices, opening affordable self-service fast food that focuses on cost-effectiveness can attract more customers.

ye xu, deputy secretary-general of the sichuan provincial consumer research association and associate professor at the china western economic research institute of southwestern university of finance and economics, believes that opening supermarket canteens is, firstly, a cross-border change for supermarkets to cope with fierce market competition; secondly, consumers pay more attention to the quality of food, and the food in supermarket canteens makes consumers relatively more at ease; thirdly, the pace of life in big cities is fast, and young people cook less frequently, so supermarket canteens are also a response measure to adapt to the trend of social consumption demand.

photo report by red star news reporter hu pei

editor: li xinglong