[Lifestyle]Chinese embrace icy DIY drinks as competition with cafes heats up

[GreenBoys]

BEIJING, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Pre-packaged cups of ice have been flying off the shelves of Chinese convenience stores this summer as consumers experiment with tea, coffee and juice combos to make affordable, cold drinks that don't involve a trip to a coffee shop.

China has seen a record breaking heat wave scorch provinces along its eastern seaboard this month.

The weather, along with the social media cred garnered from posting these creations, has helped to propel the po[CENSORED]rity of ice cups and other pre-packaged drinks as consumers, worried about job security and the slowing economy, become more cost-conscious and eschew the likes of Starbucks and Luckin Coffee cafes, bubble tea chains and juice bars for their own kitchens.

"The po[CENSORED]rity of ice cups is in line with the characteristics of the young generation who likes trying new things," said independent food and beverage analyst Zhu Danpeng. "People can post their 'achievement' online to share with friends."

A search for 'ice cups' on lifestyle-focused social media platform Xiaohongshu returns more than 13,000 recent posts, many of them videos of people in their 20s and 30s showing off their convenience store creations.

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/chinese-embrace-icy-diy-drinks-competition-with-cafes-heats-up-2024-08-27/