LOGIN SUBSCRIBE | FastCo Works advertisement BYÂ Jennifer Mattson Listen to this ArticleMore info 0:00 / 0:00 Shares of stocks linked to agriculture, soybeans, and cooking oil are up on Wednesday after President Donald Trump said that the U.S. was considering "terminating business with China having to do with Cooking Oil and other elements of Trade†as retribution against Beijing for refusing to buy American soybeans. Subscribe to the Daily newsletter.Fast Company's trending stories delivered to you every da ...

Apetit plans to acquire Sweden's Foodhills as part of the Finnish food group's strategy to expand in the supply of frozen peas. While Apetit said the purchase of Foodhills' entire share capital is valued at Skr100 ($10.56) it is repaying Skr20-30m SEK in loans provided by the company's previous owner, equating to a final transaction price of Skr60m. The deal is expected to close by 30 November and is pending approval from the Swedish ISP – the authority for direct investments in Sweden, Apetit said in a ...

Walmart is taking the biggest step yet to overhaul ingredients used in America’s food supply https://t.co/Z5O491oM7Q ...

Walmart is taking the biggest step yet to overhaul ingredients used in America’s food supply https://t.co/H13I1JsTTr ...

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]