In mainland China, the selling price of a dumpling reaching 18 yuan has surprised many people and also raised doubts about whether taking the high-end route is really feasible.
In China, there are generally two types of dumplings sold. One type is frozen dumplings sold in supermarkets, with prices around 10 yuan per 500 grams, which is very affordable. Even some high-end frozen products featuring “black truffle” or “sea urchin” would cost at most one or two yuan per dumpling when calculated. The other type is dumplings sold in restaurants, which are usually freshly made on the spot. The sales volume of restaurant dumplings far exceeds that of frozen dumplings, and there is a significant price difference between these two types of dumplings.
According to a report by “The Southern Weekend” on October 4th, the prices of restaurant dumplings are generally divided into three levels. The most common are the small local dumpling shops found in the streets, where you can get a satisfying meal for just a dozen yuan. The taste is homely, the environment is average, but it’s valued for being cheap and convenient. The middle tier includes chain brands that have rapidly expanded in recent years, with each dumpling costing around two yuan.
Then there are high-end dumplings. A certain brand in Qingdao has introduced a limited dumpling set, abandoning the traditional way of serving a plate of dumplings and instead presenting them individually, with flavors adjusted seasonally. This set is priced at 58 yuan per person, including 8 dumplings, with the most expensive dumpling selling for 18 yuan.
Some netizens who have personally tasted these high-end dumplings complained that serving dumplings one by one is not only unaffordable for the working class but also takes too long, making them lose their appetite before finishing.
In Shanghai, there is a high-end dumpling restaurant that serves 100 portions a day, with prices ranging from 38 yuan to 158 yuan.
These expensive dumplings usually use ingredients like sea urchin, abalone, sea cucumber, black truffle, which are costly. Additionally, businesses emphasize on the premium experience: the dumpling sets with each piece presented individually and flavors changing with the seasons, so consumers are not just buying a plate of food to fill their stomachs but also an entire carefully designed experience process.
However, the report also indicates that dumplings have never been a symbol of luxury and are an indispensable part of ordinary people’s daily diets. Consumers have a natural sensitivity to the price of dumplings, considering them to be affordable, a homely food that should be satisfying for just a dozen yuan. When the price of dumplings exceeds this range, consumers may develop a psychological resistance. Therefore, the operational difficulty of such high-end pricing is much greater than imagined.