Popsicles Are Getting More Expensive, But Are They Worth The Price Hike?

The other day I was strolling along the streets and the unbearable heat drove me to get a popsicle.  After I entered a convenience store, I randomly picked a popsicle that cost me RMB 10, almost 10 times more expensive than regular popsicles like 老冰棍 lǎo bīng gùn, or mung-bean flavored popsicles .

The price of popsicles has been driving many ice cream lovers mad. Zhong Xuegao, a premium popsicle brand, even launched an Ecuadorian pink Diamond ice cream that's RMB 88 for one!

Many people feel like they can no longer afford a simple ice cream. "I cannot believe the price of some ice creams is equal to two meals,” one Beijing resident told me. 

Chen is a Beijing resident who was born in the '90s. He still cherishes the memory of eating ice cream and popsicles as a child. With only about RMB 0.1 in his hands, he was able to pick any kind of popsicle or ice cream stick he wanted from the freezer.  “At that time, I felt like I owned the entire popsicle world. A mung bean popsicle only cost about RMB 0.3. The cheapest popsicle only cost RMB 0.1.”

Chen’s favorite popsicle brand is 大红果 dà hóng guǒ a sour and sweet popsicle coated with hawthorns that used to only about RMB 0.5. “ I remember that when I was a child, all the popsicles you can find were no more than RMB 1. Even if the price of ice cream rose quite a bit in Beijing later, the most expensive ones were still only RMB 3 or RMB 4.” 

Chen said that in recent years, he has noticed that with the emergence of the variety of premium popsicle brands, popsicles have become pricier than ever. “The other day I randomly picked a popsicle that cost me RMB 18. I wanted to put it back in the freezer,  but I still chose to eat it anyway. Honestly I don’t think this popsicle tastes any better than an average popsicle that only costs RMB 2.”

Chen said that it wasn’t until he checked his phone that he found out what he picked was actually a Wanghong popsicle. “The lesson I learned is never pick an ice cream brand you are not familiar with.”

Chen is certainly no exception. We talked to another Beijing resident surnamed Wang who was also born in the '90s. “I only stick with brands I know like 巧乐兹 qiǎo lè zī，and 东北大板 dōng běi dà bǎn. You won’t believe how pricy many premium ice cream brands have become these days and some even cost more than Haagen-Dazs.”

Are these popsicles as expensive as people claim them to be? We visited a number of convenience stores in Beijing to see for ourselves. We found that most popsicles cost on average more than RMB 5. Premium brands like Zhongxuegao and Menglong cost about RMB 15, but the most expensive brand cost even more than RMB 20.

Interestingly,  in some convenience stores, while these pricy popsicle brands have often taken up the space of an entire freezer, lower-priced brands like 小布丁 xiǎo bù dīng and 绿豆沙 lù dòu shā can be found hidden in the bottom of the freezer where consumers might barely notice them at all. 

Despite the complaints some young people make about these pricy popsicles, they are still quite a catch among many. “Our best seller is actually Zhong Xuegao.  Many young people working in the nearby office building even ask for these premium popsicles because they are obsessed with the Wanghong concept behind it,” a retailer told me.

But how high exactly are the extra costs of these premium popsicle brands? According to one retailer surnamed Wu who has worked in the popsicle industry for ten years , the cost is not as high as the retail price. “Let’s take Zhong Xuegao, one of the most popular brands I sell, for example, the price is about RMB 20, but the total cost is no more than RMB 5. The profits that retailers make for selling these premium brands are huge.”

“The biggest difference between these premium popsicles and affordable ice cream is that they are built for different occasions. If I just want a popsicle on a hot summer day to beat the heat, I’ll certainly go with traditional brands. However, if I am at a cinema and I want to impress my date, I’ll most definitely go with a Wanghong popsicle instead.”

“Wanghong ice cream is more like a craze that will slowly die down over time. I think it is okay for the price to rise up a bit, but a large increase in price seems quite ridiculous to me and I think consumers will become a lot more rational over time and might not be willing to spend so much just so they can post something instagrammable in their WeChat moments.”

With popsicles getting a lot more expensive than before, would you rather stay loyal to the old flavors that's more affordable or try out something new that's  pricier?

READ: Why Do Beijingers Love Eating Watermelon So Much?

Images: Irene Li