In China, instant noodles, cola, and pickled vegetables are widely known as the “poor man’s trio” due to their affordable prices and broad appeal. Recently, these three products have seen price increases, making headlines on Baidu’s top search list on July 7th.
Many Chinese netizens have been complaining online about the price hike of Kangshifu instant noodles. On July 5th, customer service from Kangshifu’s flagship store confirmed to Southern Metropolis Daily that prices for all flavors of Kangshifu’s classic series of instant noodles have increased, affecting over 12 flavors including braised beef, pickled cowpeas beef, spicy beef, chicken soup, and rich beef broth.
According to the customer service, previously, Kangshifu’s various classic series instant noodles were priced around 4.2 yuan per bucket, but after the price adjustment, the price has been raised to 4.57 yuan. A wholesale distributor of instant noodles in Guangzhou revealed that Kangshifu had informed them of an upcoming price hike as early as May this year. On July 2nd, the latest batch of Kangshifu instant noodles officially saw a price increase, with flavors like braised beef noodles seeing a rise of 0.21 yuan per pack and around 0.42 yuan per bucket.
Following the price increase, Kangshifu has raised the suggested retail price for packed noodles to 3 yuan and for bucket noodles to 5 yuan. Just two years ago, the price for packed Kangshifu noodles was still 2.5 yuan.
Additionally, the popular accompanying product to instant noodles, pickled vegetables, has also seen a price hike. A 70g pack of Wujiang pickled vegetables commonly found in small supermarkets was sold for 0.5 yuan in 2008, increased to 2 yuan in 2018, and now is sold for 3 yuan.
Furthermore, the beloved cola has experienced a price hike as well. In early July, many supermarkets posted notices stating that 500ml bottles of Coca-Cola and Sprite were being removed from shelves due to a manufacturer-requested price increase.
Previously, many supermarkets sold a 500ml bottle of cola for 3 yuan in order to attract customers, with some even selling it at a low price of 2 yuan. People had become accustomed to the 3 yuan price tag for a 500ml cola bottle, and any price exceeding this was deemed expensive.
However, over two months ago, retailers in many regions of China received a price adjustment notice from the Coca-Cola Company, where the suggested retail price for several products had been raised. The 300ml cola increased from 2 yuan to 2.5 yuan, while the 500ml cola was adjusted from 3 yuan to 3.5 yuan.
Zhou Nan (pseudonym), a Coca-Cola sales representative responsible for the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region, told media sources that currently, a box (containing 24 bottles) of 500ml Coca-Cola has a wholesale price of 59 yuan. Even with discounts, the lowest selling price is around 50 yuan. Based on this average pricing, even with bulk discounts from large discount stores, selling a bottle at 2 yuan would result in a loss for each bottle.
The reason for the price hike is attributed to manufacturers putting rising costs first and foremost.
According to analysis from Chinese self-media “Xiao Che’s Little Nest” on July 6th, the main ingredient in instant noodles, wheat flour, has seen continuous price increases in recent years. Additionally, fluctuations in the prices of meat, such as pork and chicken used as main ingredients in seasoning packets, directly affect the overall cost of instant noodles. The main ingredients for pickled vegetables, cabbage, and raw materials required for cola production, such as sugar, are also facing price increases. Furthermore, global supply chain tensions, rising energy prices, and other factors have increased logistics costs from the fields to factories, and ultimately to supermarket shelves, raising the final selling price of goods.
Faced with the price hike of the “poor man’s trio,” Daily Figures magazine stated that while prices are low in various industries, the “poor man’s trio” is seeing price increases, leading many netizens to lament: “You used to ignore me in the past, but now I can’t afford you anymore.”
One netizen, “Jiezi Nisi Mi,” expressed his sigh, saying: “Because there are more ‘poor people’ now.”