In the fiercely competitive catering industry, prepared dishes have become a new entrant as a "dark horse". Condiment companies such as Arowana, Haitian, Hengshun, and Zhongjing are "watching" to enter the market. Although in terms of industry attributes, prepared dishes and condiments belong to two separate tracks, in terms of category correlation, the two are unusual. close.
The field of prepared dishes is booming. Can condiments find new opportunities?
Condiments "keep an eye on" prepared dishes
Since the outbreak of the epidemic, prepared dishes have become more popular than ever before.
According to data from the China Chain Store and Franchise Association, during the 2020 epidemic, more than 90% of chain catering companies began to sell semi-finished products and pre-packaged food to alleviate the cash flow pressure caused by the suspension of dine-in business and digest inventory for the Spring Festival peak season.
Sales of prepared vegetables in 2021 will increase 16 times year-on-year in 2020, among which the transaction volume of semi-finished vegetables in small packages for 1-2 people has increased 3.5 times year-on-year since the Spring Festival. Celebrating the New Year in situ has boosted sales of prepared dishes. Data from the Ministry of Commerce shows that since the launch of the 2021 Online New Year Festival, sales of New Year’s Eve dinner products have increased by 96% year-on-year, of which semi-finished products have increased by more than 380%...
In the post-epidemic era and the prevalence of the lazy economy, the eating style of "one juice becomes a dish, one soup becomes a noodle" will gradually become the mainstream of Generation Z. It takes the shortest time and the easiest way to enjoy a delicious and nutritious meal. , perfectly meets the needs of catering novices for “fool-style” cooking.
Prepared dishes can be accepted, recognized, and loved because, in the final analysis, their taste and quality are stable and meet consumer expectations. In addition to relying on abundant ingredients, it is also inseparable from the assistance of high-quality condiments such as Dufengxuan, Shengen, and Sichuan Wazi.
But before condiment companies enter the field of prepared dishes, they must first see their own advantages and disadvantages.
Some people in the industry said: "I understand that part of the pre-made dishes are semi-finished products, vegetables, meat and other ingredients + seasoning packages. Condiment companies can only make a seasoning package. This can't be counted, right? So everyone's understanding should be different. Condiment companies To expand into pre-prepared dishes, the best way to cater to and support the development of pre-prepared dishes is to make compound seasoning packages.”
Indeed, pre-made dishes are different from condiments, especially basic condiments. Different dishes have different requirements for ingredients, shapes, flavors and other dimensions, and the consumption scenarios and channels vary. Pre-prepared dishes are not a field that relies on large single products to win. Consumers’ fragmented demand for pre-prepared dishes puts a high test on the flexibility of companies at the product level.
From a supply chain perspective , condiment companies may not be able to meet the circulation needs of prepared dishes. For example, some pre-made dishes require a full cold chain, and most domestic condiments do not have the genes for this.
From the perspective of consumption channels , whether prepared dishes are to B or to C, although condiment companies have certain advantages, whether these advantages can be applied to the field of prepared dishes has yet to be tested. The company's market control.
From the consumer side , in addition to B-end users, the current main consumer groups of prepared dishes are still concentrated in first- and second-tier cities, mainly elites who live a fast-paced life. However, this group of people is also the "most difficult to serve". Can companies It’s still too early to meet their expectations for prepared dishes. At present, consumers have a social understanding of condiment brands, such as Haitian soy sauce and Fuling pickled mustard. If a Haitian pre-made dish suddenly comes, it may also be a challenge in terms of consumer awareness.
Is there still a chance for condiment companies to enter prepared dishes? Of course there is.
According to the "2021-2022 China Prepared Vegetable Industry Development Report", China's prepared vegetable market will exceed 300 billion yuan in 2021, and is expected to exceed 830 billion yuan by 2025. In the next 3-5 years, my country's prepared vegetable industry is expected to become the next trillion catering market.
Since the beginning of this year, governments in many places across the country have strongly released policy signals on prepared dishes. In February, Shandong Province established the Shandong Prepared Vegetable Industry Alliance, the first provincial-level prepared vegetable industry organization in the country. In March, the Central Kitchen Prepared Dish Industry Alliance and Group Meal Industry Association of Baoding City, Hebei Province were established...A series of measures have accelerated the development of the prepared dish industry.
So how can condiment companies seize the new trend of prepared dishes?
① The company’s positioning must be clear.
Enterprises need to establish a clear positioning of prepared vegetable products. For example, what type of cuisine does the enterprise's prepared vegetable products belong to? How to develop? Should we make a single product or a series of combined products? If we want to make a product matrix, how should we expand it? What are the features that differentiate it from other competing products? Is the product pricing high-end or mid- to low-end? How is it positioned in the market? What is its status in the minds of users?
Only companies with clear goals and clear positioning can seize the minds of users through continuous market education and become a representative brand in the golden track of prepared dishes.
②Brand culture must be warm.
Only through the establishment and output of the company's own brand culture and continuous construction of user interactive experience can it truly establish an emotional connection with users and let the other party feel the warmth of the brand.
③Market breakthroughs must have systematic support .
Different from traditional condiments, prepared dishes can only develop diversified marketing channels by changing the marketing channels that are mainly B-side or C-side, achieving both BC and dual-driven development. Because the current demand for prepared dishes is not purely B-side or C-side, but also BC integration, each with its own needs.
④ Marketing methods should be diversified.
In today's fragmented era, condiment companies can only get rid of the traditional "channel is king" single marketing method and truly seize the minds of emerging user groups and potential users through online and offline joint interactions.
In summary, whether condiment companies choose to independently develop products to enter the pre-made dishes, or join forces with food companies to create jointly, the rise of prepared dishes has brought new opportunities for the development of condiment companies that want to upgrade and transform. As for whether condiment companies can use pre-made dishes, it remains to be examined by the market.
The catering industry will experience a downturn in 2022, and the industry will undergo a major reshuffle. "Thick" snow heralds a good year, so prepare in winter and sow seeds in spring, allowing time to bear fruit.
The 10th Northeast Hot Pot Festival in 2023 (concurrently held: Shenyang Food Expo) is ready to go. From April 19 to 21, 2023, the Shenyang International Exhibition Center will grandly open! The exhibition covers four major exhibition areas: prepared dishes, condiments, hot pot and barbecue ingredients, hot pot equipment and supplies. After the epidemic, the national catering market has changed and restructured. The 10th Northeast Hot Pot Festival continued to expand core categories, focus on growth sectors, and enrich the scope of display in accordance with industry changes . Facing the whole country, occupying the Northeast catering supply chain platform, seeing trends and seizing growth opportunities.
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