Editor’s Note: The Mid-Autumn Festival National Day is approaching. Under the prohibition of unhealthy trends such as public money and gifts in CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the sales of moon cakes nationwide are "cooling down" compared with previous years, and gifts such as "sky-high moon cakes" have reduced their stature, with less over-packaging, and fair price gifts have gradually become the mainstream. People’s Daily launched a special report on "Focus on Two Festivals". The reporter interviewed large shopping malls and supermarkets in Beijing to observe the new changes in festivals under the central government’s policy of curbing corruption.
People’s Daily Online, Beijing, September 16 (Reporter Jia Yue) The annual Mid-Autumn Festival is coming. A few days ago, the reporter learned from several large supermarkets, pastry shops and online shopping malls in Beijing that this year, due to the reduction of group purchases by government, foreign companies and state-owned enterprises, the sales volume of moon cakes generally declined, and the overall price of moon cake gift boxes tended to be in the middle price range, but the phenomenon of over-packaging exceeding national standards still existed.
The experts interviewed believe that the living space of "sky-high-priced moon cakes" is not large under the background that the central government has continuously issued notices prohibiting public funds from giving gifts, but reducing the potential demand for over-packaging requires the supervision and efforts of the whole society.
The overall sales of moon cakes fell by 30%, and the anti-corruption policy was powerful.
In early September, the reporter came to a large shopping mall in Chaoyang District, Beijing, and saw that a special moon cake sales area had been opened next to the underground supermarket, and well-known moon cake brands such as Dasanyuan, Gongyifu and Quanjude Fangshan gathered together. The reporter walked around and observed that the prices of mooncake gift boxes are mostly below 200 yuan, and most of them are doing activities, some buy one for free, and some directly get a 30% discount.
But even so, there are still not many customers who patronize the mooncake gift box area. Some brand promoters told reporters that the sales of mooncake gift boxes this year are not optimistic. In contrast, the bulk mooncake counters not far away are crowded, and all kinds of mooncakes less than one in 10 yuan are popular.
In the online shopping channel, the price of mooncake gift boxes also tends to be stable. Reporters in the "No.1 shop" search found that most of the top 50 sales prices are within 100 yuan. In Tmall Mall, the best seller is the Daoxiang Village mooncake gift box with a price of 69.9 yuan and 9 Cantonese mooncakes, with a total of 95,000 boxes sold that month.
The reporter noticed that these popular cheap moon cake gift boxes are mostly simple and flexible packages. You can also find mooncake gift boxes with higher prices than those in 400 yuan in online shopping malls. Usually, you choose complicated packaging forms such as bamboo tubes and baskets. From the information provided by the website, there are few sales records in the past month.
"This year’s moon cake sales are mainly aimed at the expansion of the mass consumer market." Feng Enyuan, vice president of China Cuisine Association, recently pointed out that the situation of purchasing moon cakes at public expense is decreasing, so some simple packaged moon cakes, including "naked" moon cakes, are now recognized by consumers.
According to the statistics of the baking professional members of Shanghai Food Association, the sales volume of boxed moon cakes in this city, which is mainly based on the sales of moon cake coupons, has dropped by about 30% as a whole, while individual enterprises have dropped by more than 40%.
According to the analysis of Guangzhou industry insiders, the high-end market of moon cakes has shrunk due to the influence of the big environment, and the consumption of group purchases has decreased. The peak sales of moon cakes have been shortened by more than half a month, and the sales have dropped by 30% to 50%. More manufacturers have revealed that the overall production of moon cakes has decreased by nearly 30% this year.
Wang Yukai, a professor at the National School of Administration, said that the central government’s policies to curb corruption are becoming more and more obvious, and the small moon cakes reflect the big problem of the government’s image. Now party and government cadres at all levels are treading on thin ice to deal with the problem of "giving gifts", which shows the great power of the central anti-corruption policy.
The price of moon cakes plus packaging doubles, and excessive packaging still exists.
Half a month before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the reporter saw in a local brand West Point chain store that all kinds of mooncake gift boxes had been placed in a prominent position above the counter. As soon as the reporter entered the door, the clerk sold one of the gift boxes for 158 yuan to the reporter.
According to the shop assistant, the mooncakes in the gift box are the same as those in bulk, but the difference is that there is an exquisite outer box more than that in bulk. According to the reporter’s calculation, there are 8 mooncakes in the gift box with the price of 10 yuan, which is equivalent to doubling the price of mooncakes with the box.
"We have also cooperated with enterprises to issue mooncake delivery vouchers to employees. Generally, enterprises also choose gift boxes, which may be because they feel that it is impossible to send mooncakes in bulk to employees." The clerk told the reporter.
In the wine sales area of a shopping mall in Dongcheng District, the reporter also saw a limited gift box for the Mid-Autumn Festival. A 488 yuan Remy Martin VSOP brandy at the counter became 598 yuan when it was put in a cardboard box. The shopping guide said that if you don’t buy gift boxes, you can only have general outer packaging, which is not beautiful enough and it is not decent to give people.
In fact, the price limit requirements for food packaging costs have been introduced as early as April 2010. The national standard "Restricting over-packaging of commodities requires food and cosmetics" stipulates that the sum of all packaging costs except initial packaging shall not exceed 20% of the selling price of commodities. Obviously, there are many brands on the market that have violated this clause or are playing the edge ball.
"The lack of laws and regulations makes it impossible to blame for excessive packaging." Dong Jinshi, executive vice president and secretary general of the International Food Packaging Association, pointed out that although national standards have been formulated, there is no clear punitive clause, which undoubtedly provides room for enterprises to over-package in violation of regulations.
Poor enforcement, over-packaging punitive clauses are difficult to work.
A frequently quoted data shows that the value of packaging waste thrown away in China is as high as 400 billion yuan every year, of which 80% of packaging waste is buried together with domestic garbage. These torn packaging materials have caused serious environmental pollution.
"Over-packaging is not unrelated to blind pursuit of GDP." Li Xingguo, a professor at the Department of Social and Cultural Education and Research of the National School of Administration, told this reporter that according to his investigation, many hotels rely on the Mid-Autumn Festival round of mooncake sales to improve their performance. In fact, they are all produced in the same food factory. The cost of mooncakes is similar, but the profit difference is reflected in the packaging, so merchants are generally eager for luxury mooncake gift boxes.
In order to effectively curb the common phenomenon of over-packaging, some regions have begun to formulate local laws and regulations with clear penalties. At the beginning of this year, the "Several Provisions on the Reduction of Commodity Packaging in Shanghai" was implemented, which made it clear that the sales enterprises were the main body of responsibility, and the illegal enterprises that refused to stop selling and the circumstances were serious would be fined from 20,000 yuan to 50,000 yuan.
In August, the "Administrative Measures for Restricting Overpackaging of Commodities in Guangzhou (Draft for Comment)" began to be demonstrated by experts. The opinion draft stipulates that the packaging of moon cakes is prohibited from using textiles, ceramics and precious metals except the initial packaging, and the number of packaging layers must be below three; The packaging of tea is more stringent, and the void ratio of packaging is not more than 25%. Violation of the regulations faces a maximum fine of 100,000 yuan.
Li Xingguo believes that the main reason for the repeated prohibition of over-packaging is poor enforcement. Although it seems that many departments are involved in management, it is not clear who will supervise, implement and punish. Because the provisions are unclear, the relevant powers are not given in place, so it seems that "everyone is in charge and no one is in charge".
"After the publication of punitive clauses, the key is to mobilize the whole society to participate in supervision. Sampling inspection and census are not binding on businesses, and they are motivated to take risks in the face of huge interests." Li Xingguo added, "At the same time, everyone should establish a new concept of environmental protection and simplicity, so as to reduce the potential demand for over-packaging."
Related reports:
Investigation on the rectification of the "two festivals": 40% of adults think that there will be fewer gift-giving parties.
"Corruption on the tip of the tongue" has converged, and two public funds have been severely punished throughout the country.
The sky-high moon cakes are hidden in five-star hotels, and the invoices can be printed into printers.
CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced the report phone number and website. Welcome to report the unhealthy trend of Mid-Autumn National Day.
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