Recently, the prices of nuts like sunflower seeds and pine nuts in China have significantly increased, with some 500 grams costing over one hundred yuan (Chinese currency). The prices of pork during the same period generally range around 10 yuan for 500 grams.
According to a report by “21st Century Economic Herald” on January 31st, the unit prices of nuts, dried fruits, and candied fruits range from tens to hundreds of yuan per jin (500 grams), which is not uncommon. At the nut retail brand Xueji Fried Goods, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and other basic freshly roasted nuts are sold at 23.8 yuan per jin. Cashews, freshly roasted walnuts, pine nuts, and other nuts are all priced close to 100 yuan per jin. Several shelled nut products are priced close to 200 yuan per jin, while hand-shelled pine nuts are priced as high as 218 yuan per jin. Another brand, Qiwang Peanuts, prices nuts at nearly over 100 yuan per jin.
Faced with sunflower seeds priced at 23 yuan for 500 grams, some netizens lament that sunflower seeds have become a luxury item, even more expensive than meat.
The report analyzes that the reasons for the rise in nut prices are twofold: first, speculation in promoting the fresh taste brought by freshly roasted products; second, many shops selling freshly roasted products are located near shopping malls and office buildings, attracting young people to follow the trend. Moreover, after brands enter shopping malls, costs such as rent and decoration are transferred to selling prices. Additionally, with the Chinese New Year approaching, there is a short-term increase in demand for nuts and similar products.
However, as nut prices continue to rise, concerns are also being raised about the issues that arise behind the scenes. The report states that mainstream fried goods brands on the market have highly uniform tastes, and the phenomenon of product homogenization is becoming more prominent. Additionally, some high-priced brands and fanciful gift boxes of fried goods have faced consumer complaints.
Recently, a mainland netizen revealed on social media that a nut gift box from Bai Cao Wei, sold at a discount on an e-commerce platform, claimed to weigh 958 grams, but 660 grams of it was beverages and some were cookies and snacks. The actual nut content, mainly walnut kernels, only amounted to 33 grams.
On January 27th, a reporter from Dajiyuan found Bai Cao Wei nut gift boxes on two e-commerce platforms in China, Taobao and Jingdong, with advertisements stating “Chinese New Year Gift Box Shopping Frenzy” and “Early Purchase for the Chinese New Year is Cost-Effective.” Among them, in a 958-gram packaged gift box, the nuts only accounted for one-third of the total weight. In another 1260-gram gift box, the total content of nuts like cashews, macadamia nuts, and walnuts amounted to only 380 grams.