Trending in China: Is fast food infiltrating the Chinese New Year Dinner in 2024?
There is no day off in China for New Year's Eve in 2024. Nevertheless, soaring bookings for New Year's Eve dinner indicate that that the ‘work day’ is not hindering families from having their traditional feast.
The ‘traditional’ feast is becoming more flexible and diverse for Chinese consumers. For example, many have chosen to break away from the typical CNY restaurants and opt for hot pot or stew as part of the feasting ritual. Alternatively, in what would have been unusual pre-Covid, many are ordering takeout New Year's Eve dinner and having it delivered to their homes.
Popular hot pot chain Haidilao, has launched the "Happy Dragon Year Feast," providing customized and personalized dining experiences. E-commerce platform HeMa has turned complex dishes such as "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall" and "Squirrel Fish" into pre-packaged meals for more convenience when preparing the New Year's Eve dinner. Quan Ju De, a well-known traditional brand, has started selling and promoting pre-packaged meals. This has also prompted SF Express to offer a "Non-stop Delivery Service for the Chinese New Year" specifically for delivering the New Year's Eve dinner.
Haidilao launches New Year's Eve dinner set, SF launches Chinese New Year delivery service. Source:Linkshop
Many long-established brands launch Chinese New Year pre-made dishes for sale on e-commerce platforms. Source: Linkshop
