Written by Wei Yining, Author of "Financial World" Weekly, Edited by Liu Dongxue/ After Chen Fangxuelian ice cubes unexpectedly became popular, they have been on the hot search list for many days in a row. They have insisted on not increasing the price for 13 years and only sell

/ Wei Yining, author of "Financial World" weekly, Liu Dongxue

Editor / Chen Fang

After the snow lotus ice cube unexpectedly became popular, it has been on the hot search list for many days in a row. It has insisted on not increasing the price for 13 years, and a pack only sells for 50 cents. Earning a few cents on cold drinks makes countless netizens feel distressed. One hundred million netizens voluntarily defended "snow lotus" and supported it on major social media, defending to the death their right to eat affordable ice cream. "If we don't eat snow lotus, our next generation will have to eat Zhong Xue Gao ."

一Hundreds of millions of netizens voluntarily defended "Snow Lotus"

In this summer when ice cream is getting more and more expensive, costing dozens of yuan, "Snow Lotus Ice Cubes" priced at 50 cents per pack unexpectedly became popular and became the most popular new star in the cold drink industry this summer.

On July 2, because the person in charge responded that a pack of ice cubes only cost 5 cents and the price had not increased in 13 years, Snow Lotus dominated two Weibo hot searches. As of press time, the two topics "The price of 5 cents per pack of snow lotus has not increased in 13 years" and "The person in charge of snow lotus said you can earn 5 cents for a pack of ice cubes" have received 230 million and 150 million views respectively.

Picture/Weibo screenshot

The person in charge of the Snow Lotus brand said in an interview with Guoran Video that Snow Lotus is the lowest-priced ice cream on the market. The profit per pack is only about 5 cents. The price of 5 cents per pack has been going on for about 13 years. , which mainly produces ice cream that ordinary people can afford, so it does not have enough profits to develop other products.

This is not the first time that Snow Lotus has been on the hot search list. In the past few days, topics related to Snow Lotus have been on the hot search list. The reason is that at the end of June, two days after a netizen went to work in a certain ice cream workshop, he revealed that the workshop was filthy, even dirtier than the Laotan sauerkraut production workshop exposed at the "March 15" party. He said that the workshop "not only had old phlegm but also Rusty, dirty as hell" and posted a picture. Because the shape resembles "snow lotus", the snow lotus was rumored to have collapsed the house.

Unexpectedly, this revelation was criticized by netizens. Many netizens who had eaten snow lotus ice cubes when they were young stood up to resist. "I will eat snow lotus." "Why do you want a bicycle when it only costs 5 cents a bag?" "You guys?" If we don’t say snow lotus is dirty, we have been eating it for 20 years. How can we not know whether it is dirty or not?” “If we don’t eat snow lotus, our next generation will have to eat Zhong Xuegao”

picture/TikTok screenshot

“Ice Cream Assassin. The antonym of "ice cream guard" was also discovered by netizens and became a hot search topic. Compared with the plain-looking and expensive ice cream assassin, the ice cream guard refers to the ice cream that has been grown since childhood, tastes good, and is reasonably priced, so you can definitely get it.

On June 29, the Snow Lotus Ice Cube manufacturer created the Douyin account overnight and posted photos of the workshop in the video, with the text saying: "Snow Lotus Ice Cubes have been fully automatically produced in the purification workshop. The sentiment of 50 cents, Safe food , no house collapse. "

On June 30, Snow Lotus Ice Cube issued another announcement, saying that not all Snow Lotus Ice Cubes are produced by scattered and poor workshops, and we hope that consumers will know whether the local Snow Lotus Ice Cube can meet the standards of safe food. standards, and for companies with trademark infringement and patent infringement, Xuelian will negotiate for cooperation or prosecute.

In just four days, the number of fans of the official Douyin account of Snow Lotus Ice Cube has exceeded 530,000, which is higher than the number of fans of Zhong Xuegao, who has only 460,000 fans on Douyin for a long time.

pictures/TikTok screenshots

On social media such as zhihu, Xiaohongshu and other social media, netizens spontaneously defended the "Snow Lotus". The hottest question on Zhihu is: "What do you think about netizens' protection of affordable ice cream such as snow lotus on social platforms?" One netizen replied that this is not protection, this is war. Only in this way can we have affordable ice cream. In just a few days, 70,000 notes about Snow Lotus appeared on Xiaohongshu. Among the top few, notes with tens of thousands of likes were all in support of Snow Lotus.

What is even more unexpected is that netizens launched a massive "Snow Lotus Literature", supporting Snow Lotus Ice Cubes by adapting classic literature, film and television works, and popular songs, and expressing their dissatisfaction with the sky-high price of ice cream.

The classic line in " I am not the god of medicine " in which the old lady accuses leukemia patients who cannot afford the exorbitantly expensive medicine was adapted into "I am not the god of cakes" to send a message to those who think that snow lotus ice cubes are unhygienic and irregular. Question: "I have been eating ice cream for 50 yuan for three years. My body has collapsed and my house has been depleted. Now I finally found a 50 cent snow lotus. You have to say that it is illegal. Don't I know if it is?" "

The recent popular song "Lonely Brave", which has been widely sung by teenagers, has not escaped "Snow Lotus Literature". Netizens used the classic lyrics "I love you walking alone in the dark alley, I love the way you don't kneel" to praise Snow Lotus Ice Cube: "Love you Inexpensive."

In sharp contrast to the 50-cent snow lotus ice cubes, there are high-priced ice cream brands called "Ice Cream Assassins" such as Zhong Xuegao, Daji, and Xu Jinhuan.

In the eyes of netizens, the ice cream assassin who sucks up the wallet is just like the feudal ethics of cannibalism: "I opened the freezer and took it out. This ice cream has no age, and the words 'I am an assassin' are written on each package crookedly. I couldn't sleep anyway, so I read carefully for half the night, and then I could see the words in the cracks. There were two words written all over the book, which were 'rip off people' - "Crazy Cake Diary"

There were sky-high price ice cream everywhere, only 50 cents. The snow lotus ice cubes are particularly valuable. In this era where ice cream is becoming more and more expensive and it is increasingly difficult to get a little coolness in summer, what consumers look forward to most is to eat affordable ice cream such as pudding, old popsicles, and snow lotus ice cubes to regain their childhood memories and the freedom of ice cream .

Therefore, the motto at the beginning of Dickens's "A Tale of Two Cities" "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" was adapted by netizens into "A Tale of Two Cakes": "Remember, this was an era when cake factories were wealthy. This is also an era when wallets are dry; this is the worst era, a box of ice cream costs more than 100 yuan; this is also the best era, snow lotus ice cubes cost 50 cents a bag. "

I want to support snow lotus but can't buy it.

In fact, snow lotus ice cubes cost 50 cents a bag." It’s hard to say how delicious ice cubes are.

The taste and packaging of snow lotus ice cubes are similar to Sprite, and the formula is mainly based on drinking water and lemon flavoring essence and other food additives. However, in summer, eating a piece of lemon flavored ice cubes is more refreshing and refreshing than Sprite.

For many consumers, snow lotus ice cubes are childhood memories. They are not satisfied with trying to create and appreciate "snow lotus literature" online, but also want to buy snow lotus ice cubes and support it with practical actions.

Mi Lai, born in 1995 from Xinjiang, worked in Urumqi after graduating from university. She still retains the beautiful memories brought to her by the snow lotus ice cubes.

Picture/Weibo netizen

The first time Milai ate snow lotus ice cubes was in elementary school. At that time, she lived in the countryside and her family was in a difficult situation. She had almost no pocket money when she was a child. Only when she was so greedy could she muster the courage to ask her parents for fifty cents. Or a piece of pocket money.

For Mi Lai and his companions at that time, snow lotus ice cubes were a luxury product. One child would often spend money to buy them and share them with other children. Eating a piece of snow lotus ice cubes was like a delicacy from the mountains and seas. Unexpectedly, when I grow up, snow lotus ice cubes will not only become affordable ice cream, but will also become unavailable in the market.

After seeing the hot search on June 30, Mi Lai remembered the taste of his childhood. He went to convenience stores and small shops near the company, but could not find any trace of snow lotus. Finally, his sister, who went to school in the countryside, went to the canteen in the village and found it. I didn’t know where the snow lotus ice cubes were produced. I took a picture and sent it to Mi Lai.

There are many consumers like Mi Lai. After seeing the hot search for Snow Lotus, a lot of netizens wanted to support it. Unexpectedly, they visited the stores around the house but could not find any that sold it.Some people had no choice but to go to Weibo for help: "I want to buy it, but I searched all over and couldn't find it, not even the universal Taobao." "Who can tell me where snow lotus is sold in Qingdao ?" "I want to To buy snow lotus, who can tell me where to buy it in Beijing? "I'm in Chengdu. I want to know where to buy snow lotus. I want to buy a box."

Mi Lai lamented that in today's cities, whether it is a supermarket or a convenience store, there is no place to buy it. Snow lotus costs 50 cents, and even ice cream for about 1 yuan is rare.

"Financial World" weekly visited many supermarkets and convenience stores in Beijing and found that it is difficult to find ice cream under 1 yuan. Most of them sell for around 5 yuan, and the expensive ones even cost more than ten yuan.

A canteen owner told Caijingtianxia Weekly that the gross profit margin of ice cream priced at 1 yuan is only a few cents. "For products such as ice cream and drinks, we will not count the profit of one item because it is too low. Calculated by the box, the gross profit margin of a box of ice cream is only a few yuan. "

This is true for ice cream that costs one yuan, but snow lotus ice cubes that cost 50 cents are even lower, and you can only earn a few cents per pack. Therefore, in many cities, ice cream costs only a few cents. It has quietly disappeared from the canteens, so even if many consumers want to support one, it is difficult to buy it.

Picture/Xiaohongshu netizen

Guchunzhai Food Co., Ltd., which produces snow lotus ice cubes, is located in Linyi, Shandong. Currently, snow lotus ice cubes are only sold offline in Linyi and surrounding areas, and cannot be ordered online. The relevant person in charge, Mr. Li, said in an interview with the media that ice is sold cheaply, but if transportation costs are added, the price will increase.

Due to this unexpected popularity, the person in charge of Snow Lotus Ice Cubes said that they are considering building factories in nearby Hebei, Henan and other places.

The world has been suffering from high-priced ice cream for a long time

Mi Lai still loves ice cream as much as she did when she was a child, but now, she no longer dares to grab one at random in the freezer, and only eats certain types, corn on the cob , popsicles and charles . Are you worried about the taste of

? No, I am worried about having my wallet pierced by the sky-high price of ice cream.

On the surface, it seems that netizens are defending "snow lotus". In fact, "the world has suffered and the price of ice cream has been high for a long time" is the source of the emotional outburst of netizens.

Probably since Zhong Xue became popular, ice cream has become more and more expensive, and major brands have rushed to launch high-end ice cream. Yili 's newly launched brands such as Zhenxi and Xujinhuan sell for as much as 28 yuan each. The same is true for Mengniu . A single cup of Tilan Shengxue ’s national style ice cream sells for 20 yuan. Even Zhongjie Ice Cream has begun to seek high-end products. A Zhongjie 1946 Belgian Big Black Ice Cream costs 32 yuan each, and the list goes on and on.

Even cross-border brands are joining in the fun. Not long ago, the "Vinegar King" Hengshun Vinegar Industry sold cross-border ice cream for 18 yuan each, and Maotai ice cream started at 59 yuan. Even Zeng had , Haagen-Dazs and , known as the "Hermès of ice cream", have to be defeated.

Picture/Visual China

iiMedia Research survey found that in 2022, the price accepted by netizens for a single ice cream is mostly between three and five yuan, accounting for 37%; followed by five to ten yuan, accounting for 37%; followed by five to ten yuan, accounting for 37% 33.9%; while only 18.1% accepted prices above ten yuan. In addition, more than 60% of the consumers surveyed believe that the high price of ice cream is due to "the premium is too high and the marketing costs are piled up." It can be seen that most consumers are dissatisfied with the sky-high price of ice cream.

There are many soul-searching questions on the Internet about "why ice cream is getting more and more expensive."

In this context, the sky-high price of ice cream has also been nicknamed - "Ice Cream Assassin", and has been strongly resisted by netizens.A bunch of netizens came to Zhong Xuegao's live broadcast room and wrote: I love snow lotus, I love old popsicle ...

A netizen expressed everyone's feelings. The ice cream assassins are too rampant now. If you are not careful, you will let everyone down. The already poor wallet is even worse.

Gradually, more and more netizens became "Ice Cream Man" and spontaneously compiled a list of ice creams under 3 yuan: Lao Popsicle, and Luxue Green Tongue, Yili Bitter Coffee and Xiao Xuesheng, Mengniu Green Mood And love pure crispy, Sunday Northeastern square cake ...

Currently, hundreds of millions of netizens are shouting for the 50-cent "snow lotus" on the Internet, and they are just defending their right to buy affordable ice cream.

“Nowadays, there are more and more mid-to-high-end ice creams and ice creams in first- and second-tier cities, and mid-to-low-end and low-end products have gradually begun to disappear. However, the market demand for mid- to low-priced ice cream is huge, and many consumers still hope to eat it. Low-priced ice cream," dairy industry analyst Song Liang told Caijingtianxia Weekly.

Milai also saw that the price of ice cream has increased too much in recent years. Low-priced ice cream is considered a "rare species", and "snow lotus" has only sold for 50 cents for many years. Everyone has a complicated attitude. "Even if the price of snow lotus increases now, I will support it. After all, the profit of 50 cents is too thin."

Why did affordable ice cream disappear?

The disappearance of affordable ice cream is the result of a combination of factors.

According to iiMedia Consulting research data, from 2008 to 2020, the cost of raw materials such as milk, whipping cream has increased by approximately 80%. Under cost pressure, many consumers have chosen to increase prices of classic products ranging from snacks to adults. Lao Popsicle has increased from 5 cents to 1 yuan, and the price of Mengniu Suibian Ice Cream has also doubled.

There is nothing wrong with choosing to increase prices to cover costs, but the frequent launch of high-priced ice cream by companies is not as simple as rising costs. Industry insiders once told "Financial World" weekly that it is difficult to increase the cost of ice cream when it reaches a certain level. High-priced ice cream Basically there is a substantial premium.

A dealer once revealed to the media that the purchase price given to them by Zhong Xuegao, which sells for 13 yuan, is 7 yuan, and the purchase price of Zhong Xuegao, which sells for 18 yuan, is no more than 8 yuan. Some ice cream manufacturers also said that a cultural and creative ice cream priced at 15-30 yuan costs only 6 yuan, which includes the cost of cold chain transportation .

There are fewer and fewer affordable ice creams on the market, and more and more high-priced ice creams. The core factor is profit. The gross profit margin of high-priced ice cream is incomparable to that of low-priced ice cream. The gross profit from selling one high-priced ice cream is equivalent to a dozen low-priced ice creams. Companies pursuing profits are naturally willing to sell more high-priced ice cream.

According to industry insiders, in order to stabilize his high-end persona, Zhong Xuegao also used some marketing methods and put in a bunch of advertisements, with the purpose of brainwashing everyone-it is normal for ice cream to be expensive.

And Zhong Xuegao’s followers followed suit and put in a lot of effort in marketing. As the national trend revives, Chinese elements are added to the packaging, and as joint brands become more popular, many joint brands are launched. This not only has a brand premium, but also a marketing premium. But no matter how much effort a brand makes, consumers will always pay the bill.

Picture/Visual China

“We have always emphasized and called on companies to slow down the launch of high-end and ultra-high-end products in first- and second-tier cities, because the entire market must still adhere to consumer demand and consumption increase as the core. If we blindly pursue high prices, It will cause the entire market to shrink, which is detrimental to the market as a whole," Song Liang suggested.

On the other hand, regulatory agencies have also noticed the phenomenon of "ice cream assassins" hurting people in secret and introduced policies to restrict them.

According to the State Administration for Market Regulation, starting from July 1 this year, the "Regulations on Clearly Marked Prices and Prohibition of Price Fraud" will be officially implemented.The regulations clearly point out that operators should clearly mark prices in a conspicuous manner and clearly mark the goods or services corresponding to the prices, and they must be true and accurate, have goods labels aligned, and have eye-catching markings.

On July 2, the topic "If you find that ice cream is not priced, you can complain immediately" became a hot search topic, with 180 million views as of the time of publication. Comments were overwhelming, with netizens leaving messages saying: "I hope all ice creams will have the retail price printed on the packaging." "Whoever fails to mark the price in the future will be punished to death." "You protect the snow lotus, and I will protect you."

(respondent interviewed At the request of the reporter, Mi Lai is a pseudonym in the article)

This article was originally produced by AI Finance and Economics, an account of "Financial World" weekly. Please do not reprint it on any channel or platform without permission. Violators will be prosecuted.