Summary of Key Points
Recently, the hamburger market within the food and beverage industry has become particularly competitive. Brands that originally sold unrelated items such as cold noodles, coffee, or rice noodles have all jumped into the hamburger business, each adopting their own unique strategies. Some use hamburgers to fill in gaps in their product offerings (e.g., breakfast or dinner), others create buzz with innovative hamburgers, and still others see hamburgers as a new source of revenue growth. This cross-industry competition is essentially about brands seeking new opportunities and increasing profits, while also making the hamburger market more dynamic and exciting.
1. Why Have Cross-Industry Players Turn to Hamburgers? What’s the “Magic” Behind It?
Hamburgers are appealing to so many cross-industry brands due to three key factors:
- Versatility in Usage: Whether you sell cold noodles (mainly for lunch), coffee (for breakfast or afternoon tea), or rice noodles (as a main meal), adding hamburgers doesn’t clash with the overall concept. For example, a cold noodle shop can offer breakfast options with hamburgers and porridge, or dinner options with cold noodles and hamburgers. A coffee shop can combine hamburgers with coffee to create a convenient breakfast combination.
- Standardized Production: The process of making hamburgers is relatively fixed (bread + patty + vegetables + sauce), which doesn’t require skilled chefs or expensive equipment, making it easy for new brands to get started with low investment.
- Value-Addition: Hamburgers are generally more expensive than cold noodles or rice noodles (e.g., 20–30 yuan vs. 10–15 yuan), allowing customers to spend an additional 10–20 yuan per order, thereby increasing average sales.
2. Different Strategies from Various Cross-Industry Players
Although all brands are making hamburgers, their goals and approaches vary:
- Scene Expansion: Brands that originally focused on specific meal times (e.g., cold noodles during lunch hours) can attract customers who are in a hurry (e.g., office workers) or those looking for something more substantial in the evening, extending their business hours.
- Revenue Increase: Coffee brands (such as Luckin and Kudie) see significant profits by combining hamburgers with their low-priced coffee (around 10–15 yuan), offering a more cost-effective option to customers.
- Traffic Generation: Some brands use unconventional or creative hamburgers (e.g., snail noodle burgers, mapo tofu burgers, spicy strip burger combinations) to attract attention and encourage customers to share photos on social media, boosting brand awareness.
- Second Revenue Stream: Rice noodle brands (like Axiang Rice Noodles) can diversify their revenue sources since not everyone enjoys rice noodles; hamburgers appeal to a wider audience.
3. Can Cross-Industry Brands Really Make Money with Hamburgers? What Are the Benefits?
For these brands, incorporating hamburgers brings several tangible benefits:
- Increased Revenue: For example, a cold noodle shop that sells 100 portions daily for 20 yuan each generates 2000 yuan in revenue. Adding hamburgers (30 yuan per portion) could increase sales by 50, boosting total revenue by 75%.
- Customer Retention: Existing customers can now enjoy hamburgers, reducing the need to visit other stores.
- New Customer Acquisition: Customers who didn’t previously buy cold noodles may be tempted by the combination of cold noodles and hamburgers, expanding the customer base.
- Risk Mitigation: If the main business experiences a downturn, hamburger sales can help stabilize overall revenue.
4. What Impact Does This Competition Have on Consumers and the Industry?
- For Consumers: There are more choices now—hamburgers come in various styles (e.g., Chinese-inspired, healthy options like low-calorie chicken burgers), making it easier to find what they enjoy.
- For the Industry: The competition drives innovation, with brands striving for better taste, creativity, and value. However, if some brands fail to maintain quality or control costs, they may quickly be outcompeted.
In summary, this hamburger competition isn’t just about competing for market share; it’s about brands using hamburgers as a versatile tool to explore new opportunities. For consumers, it means more diverse and enjoyable options. For brands, success depends on how well they integrate hamburgers into their core offerings and leverage their strengths, rather than relying solely on short-term trends.