“The market of Chinese-style wheaten foods is estimated to rebound soon with the relaxation of the pandemic prevention policies and the return of consumer traffic. Chain restaurants are suggested to highlight their authenticity by exploring niche regional flavours and providing more local street snacks and drinks on top of staple foods. Apart from the catering sector in shopping malls, brands can also consider expanding their business into communities.”
– Yifan Gu, Associate Director
This report discusses the following key topics:
- Market situation during and after the COVID-19 pandemic era
- Marketing activities and innovation highlights
- Consumption frequency and occasions for major Chinese wheaten foods
- Factors attracting consumers to visit chain restaurants of wheaten foods
- Consumer preference for various traditional and novel flavours of wheaten/rice noodles
- Consumer attitudes towards chain restaurants, the spinoff products and restaurant locations
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Definition
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- The market
- Catering industry is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic
- Chain brands see large potential in the wheaten food segment
- Omni-channel and -occasion strategy
- Latest healthy eating trends drive product innovation in catering
- The consumer
- Late-night dining opportunities observed among multi-generation families
- Figure 1: Consumption occasion, 2022
- Extending opening hours to tap more occasions and increase consumption frequency
- Figure 2: Consumption occasion – By consumption frequency, selected items, 2022
- Being safe and clean is more important than offering good taste in chain restaurants
- Figure 3: Purchase factor, 2022
- Southwest and Hunan flavours are promising to gain wider popularity
- Figure 4: Traditional flavour preference for noodles, 2022
- Fusion of Chinese cuisines in noodles is more acceptable than exotic flavours
- Figure 5: Novel flavour preference for noodles, 2022
- Potential lies in food kits, while evaluation required for bold innovations
- Figure 6: Consumer attitudes and behaviours, 2022
- What we think
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Issues and Insights
- Capitalise on street snacks and drinks to drive additional revenue
- Figure 7: Examples of selling local snacks in wheaten food restaurants
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- Figure 8: The combined restaurant of A Xiang Rice Noodles and Ms Jianhua
- Bolster authenticity with local seasonings from specific origins
- Figure 9: The introduction of chillies on the menu of Shan Shi Liu
- Figure 10: Example of product from Ma Jiyong with local ingredients and spices
- Develop full-time community dining service
- Figure 11: Store example of Nan Cheng Xiang and Yuan Ji Dumplings
- Capitalise on street snacks and drinks to drive additional revenue
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Market Factors
- Catering industry is expected to rebound after the relaxation of COVID-19 policies
- Figure 12: Plans after the new COVID-19 regulations, 2022
- The scale of chain brands for Chinese wheaten foods still has a large space to grow
- Booming ready meal industry improves efficiency and standardisation in catering
- Standards are strengthening to regulate chain restaurants and Chinese regional wheaten foods
- Catering industry is expected to rebound after the relaxation of COVID-19 policies
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Marketing Activities
- Occasion-based marketing in entertainment shows
- Figure 13: Example of “Little Rock & Roast” named by Hefu and the themed restaurant
- Entice consumers with creative peripheral products
- Figure 14: The noodle-eating T-shirt launched by Meet Xiao Mian
- Raise emotional resonance via short-video marketing
- Figure 15: Screenshot of short videos published by chain brands of wheaten foods
- Occasion-based marketing in entertainment shows
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New Product Trends
- Enter retailing market with ready meals and instant foods
- Figure 16: Examples of ready meals launched by chain restaurant brands
- Cultivate Chinese-style bistro culture riding on the momentum of late-night dining economy
- Figure 17: Bistro restaurant launched by chain brands of Chinese wheaten foods
- Embrace the growing trend of low-carbohydrate diet
- Figure 18: Examples of healthy options in wheaten food restaurants
- Joint launch with plant-based meat brands
- Figure 19: Example of wheaten food with plant-based meat in chain restaurants
- Enter retailing market with ready meals and instant foods
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Consumption Occasion
- Dumplings and noodles can be consumed in all three meals of the day
- Figure 20: Consumption occasion, 2022
- Regional diversity in dining habits creates more opportunities for staple foods
- Figure 21: Consumption occasion – Steamed buns/steamed soup dumplings, selected items, by region, 2022
- Figure 22: Consumption occasion – Workday breakfast, selected items, by region, 2022
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- Figure 23: Menu of Qing Feng Steamed Bun Shop with lunch sets
- Tap into late-night dining needs among multiple-generation families
- Figure 24: Consumption occasion – Late-night dining, by living situation, 2022
- Dumplings and noodles can be consumed in all three meals of the day
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Consumption Frequency in Chain Restaurants
- Steamed buns and wheaten noodles are consumed more frequently thanks to booming chain brands
- Figure 25: Consumption frequency, 2022
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- Figure 26: A store of Babi Mantou
- Rice noodle restaurants can target young people aged 25-29
- Figure 27: Consumption frequency – High frequency*, by region, 2022
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- Figure 28: Consumption frequency – Rice noodles, by age group, 2022
- Community restaurants are promising to unlock occasions beyond main meals
- Figure 29: Consumption occasion – By consumption frequency, selected items, 2022
- Steamed buns and wheaten noodles are consumed more frequently thanks to booming chain brands
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Purchase Factor for Chain Restaurants
- Consumers value reliability over good taste in chain restaurants
- Figure 30: Purchase factor, 2022
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- Figure 31: Store examples of Hefu Lao Noodles and Xijiade Dumplings
- Figure 32: Turf analysis – Purchase factor, 2022
- Demonstrate transparency and optimise dining environment to recruit low-frequent consumers
- Figure 33: Purchase factor, by consumption frequency in chain restaurants, 2022
- Generate extra profit from side dishes and innovations in community restaurants
- Figure 34: Purchase factors, by consumer attitudes towards chain restaurants, 2022
- Consumers value reliability over good taste in chain restaurants
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Traditional Flavour Preference for Noodles
- Lanzhou and Chongqing flavours are mainstream while southwest rice noodles are gaining popularity
- Figure 35: Traditional flavour preference for noodles, 2022
- Nationally accepted varieties are safe options for chain restaurants to scale up
- Figure 36: Traditional flavour preference for noodles, by region, 2022
- Multi-generation families are more open to various regional flavours
- Figure 37: Traditional flavour preference for noodles, by living situation, 2022
- Lanzhou and Chongqing flavours are mainstream while southwest rice noodles are gaining popularity
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Novel Flavour Preference for Noodles
- Consumers gravitate to the fusion of Chinese cuisines in noodles more than exotic ones
- Figure 38: Novel flavour preference for noodles, 2022
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- Figure 39: Examples of Hunan-style stir fried flavour as a dish and a topping of rice noodles
- Figure 40: Novel flavour preference for noodles, by region, 2022
- Entertain high-frequent consumers with trendy or exotic spicy flavours
- Figure 41: Novel flavour preference for noodles, 2022
- Consumers gravitate to the fusion of Chinese cuisines in noodles more than exotic ones
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Consumer Attitudes and Behaviour
- Authenticity is more recognised than bold innovations in chain restaurants
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- Figure 42: Consumer attitudes and behaviours – Selected items, 2022
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- Figure 43: Photo of a Pick ME restaurant
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- Figure 44: Consumer attitudes and behaviours – Selected items, by city tier, 2022
- Chain catering brands see potential to launch high-end instant meal kits
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- Figure 45: Consumer attitudes and behaviours – Selected items, by personal income, 2022
- Consumers call for more chain restaurants of wheaten foods in communities
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- Figure 46: Consumer attitudes and behaviours – Selected items, 2022
- Authenticity is more recognised than bold innovations in chain restaurants
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Food Persona
- Who are they?
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- Figure 47: Food personas, 2022
- Figure 48: Food personas, by generation, 2022
- Emotional eaters emphasise convenient location and popular trend followers are less price sensitive
- Figure 49: Purchase factor, by food persona, 2022
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- Figure 50: Repertoire – Purchase factor, by persona, 2022
- Target new trend explorers when marketing innovations
- Figure 51: Consumer attitudes and behaviours – Selected items, by food persona, 2022
- Who are they?
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Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
- Methodology
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