Single-serving ingredients in Shenzhen supermarket go viral online

Single-serving ingredients sold in a supermarket chain in Shenzhen have recently gone viral on Chinese social media, sparking widespread discussion and prompting many netizens to call for the concept to be introduced in more cities across China.

Screenshot from Xiaohongshu shows a Shenzhen resident praising single-serving ingredients sold in a Rainbow Supermarket.

The products are sold in Rainbow Supermarket. In the fresh food section of the supermarket's Huaqiangbei store, a refrigerator displays packaged portions of sliced, julienned or grounded pork and chicken weighing between 80 and 200 grams. Above the fridge hangs a sign reading: “Small portions, big freedom.”

Beyond meat, the store also offers vegetables, fruit salads, mashed potatoes, sushi and condiments in small portions.

“I know cooking at home is healthier, but I seldom did it because ingredients are usually sold in fairly large quantities,” a customer surnamed Wu told journalists of the Futian Media Center. “Preparing them is already a hassle, and I don’t want to store unused ingredients overnight. For people like me, these smaller portions are really convenient.”

Another shopper, who identified herself as Xiaomin, said the smaller packages help reduce food waste. “Sometimes I only want to cook one meal. If I buy large portions, the rest usually ends up being thrown away. These smaller portions mean less waste. And I don’t even have to cut the meat myself.”

According to a supermarket representative, the single-portion ingredient series was introduced in March last year. The idea was inspired by customer feedback, growing awareness of food waste, and Shenzhen’s large number of single-person and small-family households.

“We conducted research trips to Japan, where the single-person economy is already very mature,” the representative said. “In China, however, this market is still relatively untapped.”

“What we’re offering is not just smaller cuts of meat,” the representative added. “It’s a solution for people who live alone or for smaller households — helping them cook conveniently and eat well.”

Source: Shenzhen Daily