Zhong Guo Chan Ye Jing Ji Xin Xi Wang·2026-01-07 01:10Core Insights - The leisure food industry is witnessing a significant shift towards offline channel expansion, with companies like Three Squirrels and Qiaqia Foods enhancing their physical presence to meet evolving consumer demands for health, cost-effectiveness, and convenience [1][2][4] Group 1: Offline Channel Expansion - Three Squirrels is opening its first batch of seven standard stores across various cities, aiming to cover a wide range of consumer needs with a new product mix that includes fresh and prepared items, with a self-branding ratio of 90% [2] - Salted Fish's strategy focuses on returning to supermarkets to become a deeper partner in retail channels, enhancing consumer trust through flexible channel strategies [2] - Qiaqia Foods is actively expanding its snack wholesale channels by increasing SKU variety and store coverage to improve channel performance [2] Group 2: Hard Discount Retail Growth - Hard discount retailers, represented by internet and retail giants, are aggressively expanding their offline presence, with Meituan's "Happy Monkey" and Hema's "Super Box" planning to open numerous new stores in the coming years [3] - The trend of channel transformation is reshaping the industry landscape, with a notable rise in various offline formats such as convenience stores, membership warehouses, and discount stores, alongside innovations in online retail models [3] Group 3: Product Diversification and Health Trends - The leisure food sector is diversifying its product offerings, with companies like Three Squirrels introducing a range of new items to meet personalized consumer demands [4] - Good Products is also expanding its product categories to cover a wide array of consumer needs, including healthy and convenient food options [4] - Health attributes are becoming a core selling point, with consumers increasingly favoring products that are natural, simple in ingredients, and free from excessive additives, raising the bar for innovation and supply chain efficiency [4] Group 4: Market Trends and Challenges - The Chinese snack industry is maturing, with consumer demands shifting towards health, functionality, and cost-effectiveness [5] - The expansion of volume discount stores and instant retail is expected to reshape the market landscape, driven by penetration into niche scenarios and regional market expansion [5] - Key challenges facing the industry include raw material cost fluctuations, homogenization of products, and food safety risks [6]