The epidemic has ignited wave after wave of epidemic prevention products. Following the rush to purchase protective masks, antigen test strips, Lianhua Qingwen, and ibuprofen, vitamin C, electrolyte water drinks have also sold well.

Everyone will transform their fear and anxiety about the epidemic into crazy hoarding behavior. In addition to rushing to purchase essential items, some emotional products that can alleviate anxiety have naturally become hot cakes.

The most popular among them is the yellow peach can, which has been neglected in the corners of supermarkets for many years. It has made headlines with homophonic memes such as "peach over a disaster" and "peach over the epidemic".

A can of hard to find canned peaches
As the heat continues to ferment, the canned peaches on the shelves of online live streaming rooms, as well as offline shopping malls, supermarkets, and convenience stores, are swept away every minute.

Merchants are rushing to purchase goods, and supply side manufacturers have bluntly stated that "the factory machines are turning to smoke", which is also difficult to meet the soaring shopping frenzy of consumers. Currently, it can be said that a can is hard to find.

According to recent data statistics from JD.com, the transaction volume of canned peaches on JD.com has increased by 245% year-on-year in the past month.

This year, Tmall's "Double Twelve" canned peaches have taken the lead, dominating the top 1 trending topics on Tmall's entire network with a search value of 7.385 million.

Star anchors also joined the fun, and in the live broadcast rooms of Zhang Lan, Jia Nailiang, Make Friends, and Zhang classmate, canned peaches have become a hot selling item.

The brands that originally had canned peach products under their umbrella have also ushered in a shining moment.

Lin's shop, which started with export in the early days, has successfully opened up Internet channels such as e-commerce platforms since 2000, and now dominates the sales of canned food on e-commerce platforms.

Recently, the canned peaches in the Lin's shop were sold very well in Tiktok, and 7 matrix numbers were broadcast live. Relying on the tide of hoarding under the anxiety of the epidemic, the Tiktok official flagship store of the Lin shop easily achieved a good result of 50w-75w of live sales of goods in a week.

There is also a contestant from Dalian, Sincere Canned Peach. As a leading brand in the domestic fruit canned industry, Sincere Canned Peach has a high reputation in Northeast China, and its production and sales have consistently ranked first in the region. Under the popularity of canned peaches, the flagship store of Sincerity can sell 100000 to 250000 units in a week, with live sales reaching as high as 500-750000 units.

Before canned peaches became popular, people's impression of Happy Home was probably coconut juice products. But in fact, this enterprise from Zhanjiang, Guangdong has always been the main product of canned food, with sub categories such as canned fruits and canned seafood.

The sales volume and sales volume of Happy Home fruit cans in the domestic market have maintained the top three in the industry for three consecutive years from 2019 to 2021.

This time, Joy Home opened a live broadcast room in Tiktok to sell new coconut juice. After the "yellow peach can" became a popular item on the Internet, Joy Home did not respond to the fact that it was still selling coconut juice. It was not until December 13th that the main selling products of various sales channels such as live streaming were replaced with canned peaches, but they still relied on the surplus heat of canned peaches to make a steady profit.

The surplus heat of buying canned peaches is still ongoing, and brands are seizing the opportunity to use various marketing methods to break through.

How far can emotional consumption go?
After the popularity of canned peaches, with the continuous rush of the public to purchase, it once became the top selling product list in both online and offline channels.

On the one hand, consumers are eager to rush to buy, while on the other hand, experts are pouring cold water to "refute the rumor", saying that yellow peach cans have no therapeutic effect on the COVID-19 epidemic.

Unexpectedly, netizens did not appreciate it and retorted, "You don't understand, what we eat is emotions.".

Indeed, the fact that canned peaches can sell out of stock is largely due to the emotional preference of consumers, which has led to the successful resurgence of this old category of canned peaches from controversy.

And this time, the controversial electrolyte water is not as lucky as canned peaches.

Electrolytes refer to substances such as inorganic salts and proteins present in ionic form in body fluids. Prior to this epidemic, niche products such as electrolytes had already appeared on the market, but they were often classified as sports drinks equivalent to pulsating and screaming, and the consumption scenario was mostly to replenish fluids during exercise.

After the outbreak of the epidemic, there began to be rumors on the Internet that electrolytes and water can treat COVID-19, so major beverage brands took the opportunity to sell.

Brands such as Yuanqi Forest, Nongfu Spring, Wahaha, Jinmailang, and Yibao have all launched electrolyte water products, which are widely distributed in official flagship stores and offline stores on e-commerce platforms.

In order to meet consumer demand, there are even electrolyte granules sold on the market. For example, at the flagship store of fitness brand Notrand, the electrolyte granules endorsed by Zhang Jike have sold 219000 orders, and you can buy a box of electrolyte granules for 9.9 yuan, which is indeed much more cost-effective than bottled drinks.

However, there are also brands that have stumbled in order to make this wave of fast money, such as Yuanqi Forest. This time, in a promotional poster for Electrolyte Water, they went crazy and brushed aside the edges. The copy reads, "During special times, let Electrolyte Water protect you."

Subsequently, he was scolded by netizens and accused of "epidemic marketing" without limits. Yuanqi Forest has to withdraw the poster and copy, and quickly explain to the public that its electrolyte water products have no therapeutic effect. Whether to buy or not is a personal choice for consumers. We hope everyone can consume rationally.

After the collapse of the Yuanqi Forest, the heat of the electrolyte water also decreased significantly. On the other hand, the momentum of everyone rushing to buy canned peaches has become even more enthusiastic.

According to medical experts, canned yellow peach has no effect on the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. However, it must also be acknowledged that yellow peaches are a fruit with high nutritional value, rich in various nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin B group, beta carotene, lycopene, etc., which can help improve the human immune system to a certain extent.

And from a scientific perspective, the potassium element rich in yellow peaches can make people feel happy, help boost appetite and replenish energy when the appetite deteriorates during an epidemic.

So even if there is no effect of treating COVID-19, the canned yellow peach can still be repeatedly hot searched and become the hot cakes, mainly by touching the feelings of the public.

When canned peaches meet the younger generation who love to consume with sentimentalism, it's hard not to think it's popular.

At present, the whole country is grabbing canned peaches, and the main consumer force among them is none other than Northeasterners.

In the childhood memories of many Northeasterners, the yellow peach jar is a very special existence. There is not only a saying in the local area about eating canned peaches for colds and fever, but it is also a must-have for every family during holidays and festivals.

There is indeed a magic that can alleviate negative emotions to a certain extent, in order to provide a good omen of escaping a disaster.

In fact, it is not surprising that consumers pay for their childhood nostalgia. There are many old categories and brands on the market that rely on emotional consumption to have a place in people's minds, such as Wangzai, Southern Black Sesame Paste, Arctic Soda, Big White Rabbit Milk Candy, Wei Long Spicy Strips, which accompany a generation of childhood memories

What can evoke emotions among consumers are mostly classic works from different historical backgrounds. But although emotions are good, never drink too much.

Marketing gimmicks are superficial, product quality is intrinsic. To maintain the popularity and sales of emotional products, only by simultaneously considering both the surface and the interior, can they go far.

When the wave of consumption in the new era hits, domestic products cannot always rely on nostalgia to survive. Only by daring to face objective industry crises can they gain new life.

The canned food industry has also broken cans and thrown them
Looking back at the domestic canned food consumption market, it has not been very prosperous in recent years.

Before this year's rush to buy canned peaches, the industry was on the verge of collapse.

The canned food industry in China began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, relatively late compared to foreign countries. The earliest Chinese canning was "Douchi dace", which was born in Guangzhou in 1893. The manufacturer was the first canning factory in China, "Guangmaoxiang Canning Factory".

At the beginning, canned food was mainly used to supply military supplies during wars. Between 1949 and 1953, China's canned food production surged due to factors such as the Korean War.

By the 1970s, canned food was still quite luxurious. Most people use it as a gift during festivals and holidays, and not everyone can afford a popular product.

After canned black bean and carp, domestic canned food production enterprises have successively introduced production lines for canned fruits, vegetables, meat, and aquatic products.

In canned fruits, canned peaches, oranges, waxberries, and hawthorn are all popular flavors that have dominated the sales charts for a long time in the past.

The Northeast region has always had a preference for canned fruits. The low temperature makes it difficult to store and transport fresh fruits, so various types of fruits from other regions have started to be made into canned products and transported to the Northeast.

Due to the scarcity of resources, people used to prefer canned peaches rich in sugar and vitamin C to replace expensive white sugar, and the preference for canned peaches among Northeasterners from a young age has also emerged.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the canning industry entered a stage of rapid development. Today, some of the more familiar canning brands, such as Shanghai Meilin, COFCO and Beidaihe, which sell canned lunch meat, Linjiapu and Zhenzhen, which sell canned fruits, Gulong, which sell canned Braised pork belly in brown sauce, and Ganzhu, which sell canned lobster sauce, are mostly established in this period.

In 1997, there was a landmark event in the industry, which was the successful listing of Shanghai Meilin. At this time, the canned food industry has gathered multiple strong players, including both state-owned canned food factories and emerging private enterprises of all sizes.

With the continuous increase in production capacity, canned goods have begun to fly into ordinary households and become affordable food for everyone.

According to the statistics of the China Canning Industry Association, from 1950 to 2019, the cumulative production of canned goods in China was about 190 million tons, of which 34% was used for exports, earning over 80 billion US dollars in foreign exchange.

2016 can be said to be the year when the domestic canned food market reached its peak. According to relevant statistical data, the total production of canned food in China that year was 13.95 million tons, with a revenue of 175.179 billion yuan and a total profit of nearly 10 billion yuan.

After the peak, the canned food industry began to decline, with both production and revenue gradually entering a state of decline.

In 2019, the total annual revenue of domestic canned food enterprises dropped to 128.21 billion yuan, with a total profit of only 7.87 billion yuan for the year.

Canned foods, once touted as luxury goods, are rapidly fading out of people's sight in recent years.

Although this category has not yet completely exited the market, its existence is also relatively weak. Occasional consumption is predominant, and many consumers casually pick up a bottle when passing by a stall.

As a third board company specializing in canned fruits, Linjiapuzi has been increasing revenue without increasing profits for two consecutive years, and its net profit has declined significantly. Happy Home has also been dragged down by the performance of the canned goods category. After the company's non deductible net profit peaked in 2019, it has also experienced a consecutive decline in profits in the past two years.

The price increase of fruit raw materials and packaging materials has also been continuously increasing. According to relevant data, Linjiapuzi paid 53 million yuan more for raw materials in 2021 than in 2020. The cost of raw materials for Happy Home increased by 55.64 million yuan year-on-year in the first three quarters of this year.

Brands have no choice but to increase the market pricing of their products. In July of this year, Happy Home raised the factory price of its canned peaches by 9% -12%.

On one hand, there are unbearable production costs, and on the other hand, the sluggish domestic demand continues to hit. Brands that specialize in canned food have had a difficult time in recent years.

Why have canned products been rapidly abandoned by domestic consumers in recent years?

With the improvement of people's living standards, canned food that once accompanied a generation has gradually been labeled with a series of negative labels, such as "unhealthy", "not fresh", and "preservative food".

For a long time, consumers had a great misunderstanding of canned peaches, and once classified canned peaches, instant noodles, and puffed foods as "junk food". Even many people unilaterally believe that the ingredients used in canned food are inferior, and only rotten fruits will be made into canned food.

In the era of material scarcity, canned food, which was once prominent in convenience, began to be despised after the improvement of living standards, and the mainstream dietary habits of Chinese people still prefer fresher food.

With the rapid development of the fresh food market, the distribution of domestic markets and supermarkets is becoming increasingly dense, coupled with the rise of new retail and fresh e-commerce, purchasing fresh ingredients can be easily obtained.

Even young people who don't know how to cook can order takeout quickly and deliver it. In addition, the pre packaged food market has also launched dishes such as luncheon meat, tuna, and chickpeas to seize the market that originally belonged to canned food. There are also foods such as self heating hot pot and preserved meat that have to some extent replaced the previous status of canned food.

Fortunately, canned food still exudes warmth after years of cultural accumulation in our country, and after the epidemic, this warmth ignited the childhood nostalgia in the hearts of consumers.

Especially fruit cans, represented by canned peaches, have begun to lead the entire canned food industry in a turnaround battle.

Can the canned food industry rise again?
Can the canned food industry still rise again?

There is actually a big misconception about the development of the canned food industry. It is generally believed that the canned food industry has been "desolate" in recent years, but in fact, this statement can only be applied to the domestic market.

Chinese people have always disliked canned food, but it has not hindered them from having strong production capacity to export to foreign countries and becoming a pillar industry for the country's export earnings.

China is the world's largest producer and exporter of canned goods, and canned products produced by domestic enterprises have always been popular abroad.

In the early 1990s, the richest man in China, Mou Qizhong, used products including 500 truck cans to exchange four passenger planes from the Soviet Union, which can be said to be a shining moment in China's international trade of canned goods.

At present, canned products in China occupy the consumer market in more than 100 countries and regions overseas, and almost a quarter of the world's canned supply comes from China.

According to relevant data statistics, China's total export volume has reached 14.5 million tons in the past five years, with an average annual export volume of about 3 million tons and export earnings of 26.2 billion US dollars.

There is a strong demand for canned food in foreign markets, with an average annual consumption of only 8 kilograms per person compared to China. However, the United States and Western Europe can reach 90 kilograms and 50 kilograms respectively.

The reason for this is closely related to the different climate conditions, shopping habits, and dietary culture between China and the West.

Unlike China, which has a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits throughout the year, many foreign countries have scarce and expensive seasonal vegetables and fruits, so it is common to eat canned or frozen foods. Canned vegetables, fruits, fish, soup, and other items have become a necessity in people's daily lives.

In addition, Westerners tend to stock up more and less frequently when shopping, such as driving to large supermarkets once a week or half a month to make purchases. This shows that canned goods are indeed more suitable for the shopping habits of Western countries.

So the high demand overseas market has always been a solid support for China's canned food industry.

For the domestic consumer market, although borrowing canned peaches has achieved explosive sales in the short term, continuing the consumption myth still requires long-term cultivation.

The arrival of the epidemic has inadvertently ignited canned products such as peaches, completed market education for some new consumer groups, and overturned everyone's understanding of canned food.

Even if modern families have refrigerators for refrigeration, hoarding too many fresh fruits and vegetables inevitably leads to the anxiety of spoilage. At this time, people will turn their attention to canned food and give canned food a chance to prove themselves again.

In fact, various canned foods are not as unhealthy as people imagine. They are made from various foods that have been canned, sealed, and sterilized.

After undergoing modern thermal sterilization technology and professional treatment such as vacuum sealed storage, the cans can reach a sterile state, and can be stored at room temperature for about a year without the need for preservatives or refrigeration. Some canned goods even have a shelf life of up to two to three years.

Plus, canned food is also relatively small in size, making it easier to store, making it a must-have item for everyone at home during the pandemic.

In addition to removing the hats of "junk food" and "preservatives", canned food also needs to further optimize product taste.

The situation of canned peaches is somewhat awkward between freshly cooked delicacies and synthetic and processed foods, with "less than enough compared to others, more than enough compared to others.".

Compared to the former, canned food must be sealed in containers for long-term storage, which inevitably sacrifices some nutrients and flavor to a certain extent. The sugar and salt content are also higher, and fresh food is definitely the winner in terms of freshness.

However, compared to the latter, canned food is truly authentic and does not have as many "technological and ruthless" food additives as synthetic and processed foods.

In the future, canned food must be greatly improved in terms of craftsmanship and taste in order to be popular among consumers. Especially for old national brands, they need to put in deep effort in this area to compete with the new players sweeping in under new consumption.

At present, new brands and Internet snack giants are constantly pouring into the canning track. For example, three squirrels who sell leisure snacks, and the use of good shops have also launched canned products. In addition, the canned lunch meat category has successively emerged "online celebrity brands" such as pig hehe, Wangjiadu, pig master, and Lixiangguo. The brands that focus on fitness and low-fat sell chicken breast in the form of cans.

Consumers need to pay attention to both taste and health concepts, so labels such as "low sugar and low fat" and "low-temperature freshness locking" have become a new trend in the canned food industry.

In order to adapt to the market, Lin Jiapuzi has launched canned peaches with a focus on "sugar control and zero fat", Li Ziqi has launched canned ginseng and black bone chicken soup suitable for those who stay up late and work overtime, and Meilin has launched a canned series for young people to meet the "one person consumption" requirement.

The old category of canned goods must go through a period of transformation in order to regain popularity and continue to grow in the context of new era consumption.

In the context of the epidemic, people's worship of canned peaches is just a special scenario demand. When this wave of hoarding fever passes, it is the long-term solution for canned peaches to continue expanding into daily consumption scenarios.

China has a vast territory and abundant resources. In addition to canned peaches, various mountain and river flavors of canned food also showcase the rich culinary culture of various parts of China, such as canned chicken stewed mushrooms and pickled cucumbers from Northeast China, canned beef and mutton from Yulin, Guangxi, and canned abalone from Hong Kong, among others

The small canned food from childhood may tell its own new story in the future, providing a refreshing dining experience for the current new consumer group.