Are Premium Ice Creams Losing Their Appeal? This summer, Xiaoxin from Zhengzhou noticed mobile ice cream wholesale points popping up on streets and alleys, with freezers displaying slogans like "Buy 10 get 30% off" and "Wholesale prices even for single items" to lure customers. Our visits to cold drink wholesale stores also revealed that mainstream ice cream prices this year are mostly below 5 yuan, with the best sellers being under 3 yuan. Items like the 0.5 yuan Little Pudding, 1 yuan Old Ice Pop, and 2 yuan internet-famous square cake or bitter coffee are once again dominating freezers, with prices clearly marked in the most visible spots. Meanwhile, once-popular premium ice creams are beginning to lower their prices. Moutai ice cream, once hard to get, has been running clearance sales, dropping from 66 yuan per box to 10 yuan. Magnum, typically priced at no less than 10 yuan per bar, can now be found in many discount stores for 6.5 to 7 yuan. Some products from Baxy and Walls are also sold at 40% off, and certain Zhong Xue Gao single bars have dropped to under 5 yuan. We then visited a large cold drink wholesale store in the city center, where several consumers were choosing ice cream. The 50-square-meter store housed over 10 freezers. The owner pointed to one freezer and said, "Premium ice creams over 10 yuan are only in this freezer; the rest are more affordable." He added, "Pick anything; prices are very reasonable, no 'ice cream刺客' (pricey surprises)." "A few years ago, people were more willing to pay high prices for ice cream, but in the last two years, the best sellers are under 3 yuan," the owner explained. These signs indicate that premium ice creams seem to have "lost their market." In reality, high-priced ice creams haven't completely disappeared but no longer dominate. In a small-to-medium supermarket in Zhengzhou, premium ice creams are placed in a dedicated freezer, with brands like Qixuan, Xujinhuan, Zhong Xue Gao, and Magnum neatly arranged, though they seem somewhat lonely compared to the affordable options. Ice Cream Consumption Returns to Rationality A few years ago, Zhong Xue Gao leveraged internet marketing, using aesthetics, storytelling, and social sharing to become a market dark horse, selling domestic ice cream at high prices up to 60 yuan. Subsequently, many brands followed suit, and "sky-high ice creams" emerged like mushrooms, with sales climbing. Examples include Wuliangye ice cream at 32 yuan per scoop and Moutai ice cream starting at 59 yuan per box. High prices did bring in more revenue. In 2021, Zhong Xue Gao's sales exceeded 1 billion yuan at its peak. Last June, Ding Xiongjun, Party Secretary and Chairman of Moutai Group, stated that Moutai ice cream had sold nearly 10 million cups cumulatively, estimating annual sales of over 600 million yuan. However, as consumption trends shift, consumers are becoming more price-sensitive, and the trend of consumption downgrading has finally hit premium ice creams. The once-glorious "high-end" and "luxury" ice cream brands are seeing their past glory fade. Media reports indicate that according to the Moutai ice cream mini-program, seven Moutai ice cream flagship stores are currently suspended, including locations in major cities like Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Qingdao. Zhong Xue Gao, once extremely popular, has also fallen from grace, with reports that its founder Lin Sheng was restricted from high consumption and had to take a green train. This stark contrast reflects a significant change in consumers' acceptable price range for ice cream. According to the latest market research, the "2022-2027 China Ice Cream Industry Market Panoramic Survey and Development Prospect Forecast Report" shows that in 2022, 37% of netizens accepted prices between 3-5 yuan for a single ice cream, 33.9% accepted 5-10 yuan, 16.3% accepted 10-20 yuan, 11% accepted 1-3 yuan, and only 1.8% accepted over 20 yuan. Reflecting market acceptance, data from May 2023 to September 2023 (the peak sales season) shows a significant drop in the price range of top 20 selling products. The number of products priced above 6 yuan fell from 50% in 2022 to about 20% in 2023. The data clearly points to one conclusion: most consumers can accept ice cream prices between 3 and 5 yuan, far below the original pricing of many premium brands. Industry insiders offer various views on why consumers have become so "rational." Besides the overall economic environment, Generation Z is more "pragmatic," focusing on actual product experience and unwilling to pay a premium for brand names. Price Wars Begin Distributors Face Hard Times The consumption downgrade also signals the arrival of a low-price era. In previous years, premium brands like Magnum were mainstays for many ice cream wholesalers, but this year, these high-priced items are not selling. One distributor reported, "Magnum sales have plummeted, and prices are chaotic, with sales down over 30%." Not only foreign brands are struggling; domestic premium brands like Zhong Xue Gao and Qixuan are also seeing poor sell-through. "Many high-priced ice creams are on special offer this year, some at 30% off, others buy-one-get-one-free, but sales are still declining," we heard repeatedly during our visits. Media reports consistently note that this year's ice cream market is not ideal, with premium products barely moving. Seasonal inventory hasn't been cleared, and manufacturers are already pressing for next quarter's payments. "Usually, to get affordable ice creams, manufacturers bundle them with high-priced ones, leading to repeated accumulation of premium stock. The result is no profit and a warehouse full of expensive ice cream." "The overall ice cream market has worsened this year. Affordable products compete on price, while premium ones don't sell. Forced into price wars, we end up with nothing," said a frozen goods wholesaler from Zhengzhou. Industry insiders point out that last year's market feedback was "declining sales," prompting many manufacturers to push inventory onto distributors this year, who then pass the pressure to channel partners. However, current sales are far below expectations, increasing inventory pressure. Mr. Lin, a wholesaler with years of experience, faces similar issues: "Manufacturers keep coming up with new tactics. Some now ship goods directly without requiring payment, saying 'sell first, pay later,' but that increases storage costs." "Old stock isn't sold, new stock keeps coming. For manufacturers, as long as it leaves the factory, it's considered sold, but this year, we really can't take more," he added. It's foreseeable that this year's ice cream market will be a "cooling off" period. As consumption becomes more rational, both traditional giants and new players must return to brand essence and product competitiveness. Offering value-for-money products is the foundation for future growth. Many ice cream wholesalers, after weathering wave after wave of market turbulence, haven't given up. In their eyes, "Difficulties are temporary; take it slow, there's always hope. But we don't know when spring will come. Perhaps building high walls and storing grain is the best strategy." 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