Summary of the Core Content
This article discusses a fascinating phenomenon in the food and beverage industry: whether it's small, unlicensed vendors (such as those selling "Mixue Ice City" products on tricycles or selling marinated chicken feet under the banner of "KFC going to the countryside") or established brands like Haidilao, Luckin, or Wallace, they have all abandoned their pretense. Vendors are leveraging the trust and popularity of these big brands, while the brands have moved from shopping malls to night markets and street stalls. The reason behind this is a change in the consumer landscape—people's wallets have shrunk, and they are less willing to pay for additional costs such as "ambiance" and "service," preferring to spend money on the actual food they consume. Both vendors and brands are doing their utmost to survive by adopting the most practical and accessible methods.
1. Unlicensed Vendors: Using Low-Cost Materials to Leverage Big Brand Trust
You might think that unlicensed Mixue Ice City copies are silly—after all, Mixue is already affordable, so what can these vendors gain from copying it? But they are clever! When eating out on the street, people's biggest concern is hygiene and safety. Established brands spend millions each year on advertising to build trust by showing their cooking processes. However, vendors don't have to pay a franchise fee; they simply spend a few dollars on a printed banner with the Mixue or KFC logo, which subconsciously makes customers think, "This product must be reliable since it's associated with a big brand," and then they buy it. For example, the vendor selling marinated chicken feet might use the KFC logo to reassure customers, even though they aren't actually selling KFC products. Moreover, these vendors operate in a guerrilla fashion (without fixed stalls or licenses), making it difficult for the brands' legal departments to find them. This is the most cost-effective way to convert traffic—leveraging trust that others have built at zero cost.
2. Big Brands Lowering Their Prestige: Moving from Shopping Malls to Street Stalls out of Survival Need
In the past, when you went to a Haidilao restaurant in a mall, half of your payment went towards rent, air conditioning, and other amenities. But now, with tighter budgets and fewer gatherings, people are less willing to pay for these unnecessary expenses. They only want to spend 10 yuan on a bowl of noodles and don't want to pay for the luxurious decor of the mall. Big brands, facing high monthly rents and seeing the booming business of street vendors, have no choice but to adapt. Haidilao has moved to night markets, Wallace sells student meals by electric bike, and Luckin and Mixue Ice City set up plastic tents on the streets. This isn't about "devaluing" their brand; it's about implementing a strategy called "multi-channel expansion"—bringing their products closer to where customers spend their time (like subway stations or night markets), thereby increasing their chances of survival.
3. Changing Consumer Behavior: People Only Want to Pay for What's Practical
Consumers are becoming more practical. They spend 4 yuan on Mixue lemonade because they want the sweet and sour taste, and 15 yuan on Luckin coffee because they need a boost. Whether there are sofas in the restaurant or whether the staff smile is no longer important. The key factor is that people's wallets have shrunk. In the past, dining out was about prestige; now, it's more about getting value for money. For example, you might prefer to buy 10 yuan worth of fried chicken from a street vendor rather than paying 30 yuan for the same product in a mall, as the extra 20 yuan can be used on other things. This shift in consumer behavior has forced the food and beverage industry to focus on what's essential—getting rid of unnecessary costs and focusing solely on the food itself.
4. The Essence of Business: Survival Is More Important Than Prestige
At first, you might find these changes amusing: how could big brands end up competing with vendors? But upon reflection, this is the harsh reality of business. No brand image can be too important when survival is at stake. Those brands that cling to their "elegance" and "luxury" may not survive this crisis. It's the more flexible and adaptable companies (whether vendors or big brands) that will thrive. For instance, Mixue Ice City, which already has low prices, has gone even further by setting up street stalls; Haidilao has given up its "service-first" mantra to reach customers in shopping malls. The essence of business is simple: buying and selling. You have to be practical and unashamed in your approach, because only by surviving can you plan for the future.
In Conclusion
Whether it's unlicensed vendors using big brand names or big brands lowering their standards, these actions are all part of the industry's survival instinct in a time of declining consumer spending. Those who get closer to the customers and offer more practical products will survive. This isn't a chaotic battle; it's the most genuine struggle for business survival.