Core Insights - The article highlights the rising demand for "light cooking" in households, particularly for hot pot and barbecue, driven by convenience, social attributes, and universal taste preferences, creating a new market for the hot pot and barbecue ingredient supply chain [1] Group 1: Rise of the Lower-tier Market - The disposable income of rural residents increased by 7.6% year-on-year in 2023, coupled with the penetration of e-commerce and logistics networks, leading to a rapid release of demand for quality and convenient ingredients in lower-tier markets [4] - The social attributes of lower-tier markets favor community gatherings, with hot pot and barbecue serving as low-skill cooking options, making them ideal for family and community events [5] - Operating costs in lower-tier markets can be reduced by 40%-60% compared to first-tier cities, with community store models leveraging "online ordering + offline pickup" to enhance profitability [6] Group 2: Supply Chain Restructuring - The supply chain for ingredients in lower-tier markets is undergoing a "de-intermediation" transformation, with regional brands directly sourcing from agricultural bases and central factories, reducing procurement costs and supporting local farmers [7] - The adoption of cold chain logistics technology has decreased food loss rates from 30% to below 15% in lower-tier cities, ensuring product freshness and price competitiveness [8] - Community stores employing a "small store manager" model can create 3-5 flexible job opportunities, fostering a positive entrepreneurial ecosystem [9] Group 3: Challenges and Strategies - To avoid homogenized competition with first-tier cities, companies should develop unique products tailored to regional tastes and offer smaller or combo packaging to cater to smaller family structures [10] - Establishing regional warehousing nodes can enhance supply chain resilience, creating a three-tier network to mitigate logistics uncertainties and reduce stockout risks [10] - Building community trust through private traffic channels like WeChat and short videos can enhance brand credibility via ingredient traceability and cooking tutorials [11] Group 4: Future Outlook - The downward trend in the hot pot and barbecue ingredient market represents a reconstruction of the "people's livelihood economy," where community stores act as nodes connecting urban and rural supply chains, promoting agricultural industrialization and supporting ancillary services [12] - The market for pre-prepared dishes and ingredient supply chains in lower-tier markets is projected to exceed 500 billion yuan by 2025, with community-oriented and social consumption scenarios becoming key growth drivers [12] Conclusion - The narrative of the hot pot and barbecue ingredient economy reflects a gradient shift in the consumption market and validates the endogenous growth logic of China's county economy, leveraging supply chain upgrades to facilitate the bidirectional flow of resources and value reconstruction [13]