Office workers digging into snack market

Rising incomes, desire for afternoon energy push up prospects and sales of leisure foods among white-collar employees

Burgers and fries, milk teas, chicken skewers, barbecued victuals and malatang－a spicy Sichuan broth with meat and vegetables－are currently the five most popular snacks ordered online by office employees in China.

The list is based on data from online food delivery platform Ele.me, which surveyed staff members who returned to work after the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, leisure foods and drinks are being seen as daily necessities for a growing number of office workers. The ready-made snacks and beverages provide a convenient at-desk energy boost during a busy workday.

Among white-collar office staff in Chinese cities, 24 percent of respondents said they don't buy snacks while working, 53 percent said they spend less than 100 yuan ($15.3) per month and the remainder spend more than 100 yuan per month, according to a recent survey by recruiting website 51job.

"White-collar office employees constitute a major higher-end consumer group of leisure foods. Grabbing business opportunities emerging from office settings can help retailers bring in considerable revenue," said Zhu Danpeng, a food industry analyst.

Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region-inspired luosifen, pungent rice noodles containing pickled bamboo shoots and river snails, has become a hot workplace commodity.

Nanjing, Jiangsu province; Guilin, Guangxi; Xiamen, Fujian province; Changsha, Hunan province, and Beijing have seen particularly brisk business for luosifen since office staff moved on from the work-from-home period, especially after COVID-19 began to come under control in China, according to Ele.me.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, more than 50 percent of respondents regard such snacks as godsends. For people who still work from home, about 70 percent of respondents recognize the important function of snacks, and they consider snacks as something to help nourish bodies and minds during difficult times, according to a report by multinational confectionery company Mondelez International.

"Snacks refer to between-meal nibbles people consume during slower periods to help relax. They cover a wide range of foods such as baked goods, candies, biscuits and nuts," said Neil Wang, president of consultancy Frost & Sullivan China.

"With the increase in per capita income and the consumption upgrade trend in the country, Chinese consumers are buying more snacks. Yet, compared with developed markets such as Europe, the United States, Japan and South Korea, per capita consumption value and volume of leisure foods in China are relatively low, and there is still room for improvement," Wang said.

China's popular milk tea chain Heytea, a brand originating in Guangdong province, said the period between 2 pm and 4 pm on business days is its peak period for online orders. Heytea also gets more orders on Thursdays and Fridays, the company found.

Ordering beverages during afternoon tea breaks has become a daily routine for many office workers. As the weekend approaches, consumers seem to be more in need of getting to the finish line with a refreshing drink, Heytea said.

Zhouheiya International Holdings Co Ltd, a Wuhan, Hubei province-based snack food chain, has been a supplier of vacuum-packed cooked and marinated duck and related products.