From salted egg yolk with shredded pork Green Tuan to YeYe chocolate Green Tuan, and mango-flavored Green Tuan... It's that time of the year again when a variety of unique flavored Green Tuans dominate the market, marking the beginning of a "battle of flavors" on the taste buds.
According to the "Green Tuan Consumer Observation" released by JD's Consumer and Industry Development Institute, in the past two weeks, Green Tuan sales have increased by 89% compared to the previous period. Traditional favorites like red bean paste Green Tuan, black sesame Green Tuan, and salted egg yolk with shredded pork Green Tuan remain bestsellers for consecutive years. New flavors such as jujube with walnut Green Tuan, pickled mustard with fresh vegetables Green Tuan, durian Green Tuan, and taro "milk tea" flavored Green Tuan have all seen sales more than double compared to before. Consumers born in the 1980s and 1990s are the main force driving Green Tuan consumption, accounting for over 70% of sales. Shanghai consumers alone contributed to nearly 20% of Green Tuan sales, while significant sales growth in non-Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai regions such as Gansu, Yunnan, and Beijing was observed.
Red Bean Paste Qingtuan Still Dominates Qingtuan Market; Sales of Pickled Fresh Qingtuan Increase by Over 10% Month-on-Month
In recent years, Qingtuan products have continuously innovated, evolving into a versatile snack suitable for various occasions, seamlessly integrating with seasonal dishes, baked goods, coffee, and milk tea, covering diverse consumption scenarios such as breakfast, afternoon tea, and outdoor outings. Consumption data from the past two weeks indicates that sweet-flavored Qingtuan outsells savory ones by 5.6 times. Among them, Red Bean Paste Qingtuan, Black Sesame Qingtuan, and Salted Egg Yolk with Shredded Pork Qingtuan remain the top choices in the Qingtuan market, especially with Red Bean Paste Qingtuan accounting for over 60% of the sales. Novel flavors like Chocolate, Peach Cheesecake, Jasmine Green Tea, Taro, Durian, Cheesecake, and Matcha have also made it to the top ten list of popular Qingtuan flavors.
In terms of consumption growth, innovative flavors like Jujube Walnut and Salted Peanut have seen a sales increase of over 5 times month-on-month. Flavors integrating with dishes such as Pickled Fresh, Black Truffle Mushroom, Malan Vegetable, and Sichuan Pepper Chicken have seen sales grow by over 2.5 times. Fruit flavors like Blueberry, Durian, and Mango have seen sales double month-on-month, while flavors like Osmanthus Red Bean, Milk Ye Ye, Taro, and Jasmine Green Tea, leaning towards a "milk tea" style, have also doubled in sales year-on-year. The chewy Qingtuan skin, wrapped around various fillings, brings consumers a unique taste experience.
"Consumers are becoming more personalized in their Qingtuan flavor choices, no longer sticking to a single flavor preference. This year, sales of multi-flavor combination Qingtuan sets have increased by nearly 40% compared to last year. Well-known traditional brands like Xing Hua Lou, Zhi Wei Guan, and Wu Fang Zhai are the most popular choices, accounting for over 80% of sales," said the Qingtuan procurement and sales manager of JD Supermarkets.
Moreover, these Qingtuan products have not only made bold breakthroughs in flavors and ingredients but also continuously innovated in appearance and packaging. For example, some businesses have introduced delicate "mini" Qingtuan, available in flavors such as Salted Egg Yolk, Red Bean Paste, Taro, and Original, which can be paired with desserts like milk tea, yogurt, coffee, and cheesecake, providing a delightful experience in a single bite. Data shows that sales of mini Qingtuan have increased by 128% in the past two weeks.
Consumers born in the 1980s are the main consumers of Qingtuan, with sales accounting for 44%, followed by those born in the 1990s at 26.9%. Post-2000 consumers prefer to purchase Lactic Acid Bacteria Qingtuan, Milk Ye Ye Qingtuan, and Taro Qingtuan, while those born in the 1990s prefer Rose Milk Qingtuan, Milk Ye Ye Qingtuan, and Durian-flavored Qingtuan. Consumers born in the 1980s prefer Chocolate Qingtuan, Peach Cheesecake Qingtuan, and Jasmine Green Tea Qingtuan, while those born in the 1970s prefer Osmanthus Red Bean Qingtuan, Cheesecake Qingtuan, and Bamboo Shoots Qingtuan. In terms of gender consumption, women prefer Osmanthus Red Bean Qingtuan, Jasmine Longjing Qingtuan, and Malan Vegetable Qingtuan, with sales accounting for over 70% in these categories. Men prefer Sakura Persimmon Qingtuan, Shepherd's Purse and Fresh Meat Qingtuan, and Mango-flavored Qingtuan, with sales accounting for over 50% in these categories.
"Originally used as a cold dish for Qingming ancestral worship, Qingtuan has now transcended geographical and seasonal restrictions to become a characteristic snack, gradually accepted by consumers across the country," said the Qingtuan procurement and sales manager of JD Supermarkets, noting that the provinces with the most significant increase in Qingtuan sales this year are mostly outside the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region. Data shows that Shanghai, Beijing, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Shandong are the top-selling provinces for Qingtuan, with Shanghai alone accounting for nearly 20% of online Qingtuan sales. Qingtuan sales in provinces such as Gansu, Yunnan, Beijing, Tibet, Sichuan, Liaoning, and Fujian have all increased by over 100% month-on-month. In terms of specific preferences, Malan Vegetable Qingtuan is favored by consumers in Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu, accounting for over 70% of total sales; Black Truffle Mushroom Qingtuan is most popular among consumers in Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, accounting for over 40% of total sales; Rose Cheese Qingtuan is particularly favored by consumers in Beijing, accounting for over 50% of total sales; Red Bean Paste Qingtuan and Salted Egg Yolk with Shredded Pork Qingtuan are purchased by more consumers in Shanghai, Beijing, and Jiangsu.
Furthermore, many consumers choose to make Qingtuan themselves, enjoying the similar pleasure of making Tangyuan. In terms of Qingtuan making ingredients, sales of Qingtuan premixed flour and Salted Egg Yolk with Shredded Pork filling have increased by 3.1 times and 2.6 times, respectively. Sales of Salted Egg Yolk filling, Red Bean Paste filling, Green Bean Paste filling, and Black Sesame filling have all increased by over 40% month-on-month. Sales of Qingtuan molds, Qingtuan packaging boxes, and Qingtuan liners have increased by 3.5 times, 2.6 times, and 2.1 times, respectively.
