In the blink of an eye, the "dream-like" 2020 year-end has arrived. In 2020, catering people will persevere stubbornly in the face of changes and grow up hard in the face of blows.

Highlighting the recent epidemic, the crisis of the catering industry has suddenly appeared. But tenacious and smart diners find that "danger" and "opportunity" coexist forever.

Looking back on 2020, it is difficult, but there is no lack of opportunities. Looking forward to 2021, the variables are still going on. Regarding the future, perhaps we can get a glimpse of trends from the keywords of industry development in 2020.

Keywords 01: Normalization of the epidemic

During the Spring Festival, with the outbreak of the epidemic, people across the country were isolated from home, and the catering industry ushered in the darkest moment. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that the revenue of the catering industry bottomed out in March this year. After the full opening of dine-in in April, the catering industry gradually recovered, but the total revenue still declined significantly. According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, the national catering revenue from January to October 2020 is only 2,959.8 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 21%.

Data source: compiled by the National Bureau of Statistics and China Commercial Industry Research Institute

Under the normalized environment of the epidemic, the catering industry still needs to be prepared for long-term combat.

Keywords 02: food safety

Food safety is a major hot spot arising from the epidemic. During the extraordinary period of the epidemic, there is a kind of dine-in called sitting next to each other, and there is an environment called 75% alcohol disinfection.

Affected by the epidemic, people's requirements for food safety are getting higher and higher. Food safety in the catering industry began to focus not only on the meals themselves, but also extended to the elimination of tableware/tables and chairs, the health report of the service staff/riders, and the elimination and sealing of take-out packaging.

In the post-epidemic era, under the eyes of the whole people, the food safety of the catering industry will be stricter and more standardized.

Keywords 03: consumption downgrade

In the first two years, there was a voice of consumption upgrading, but this year, all walks of life were overwhelmed by the voice of consumption downgrading.

The government led businesses to issue large-scale consumer vouchers, which is considered to lower their status to stimulate consumption; reactivating the stall economy is considered to be a means of stimulating consumption and solving employment at the local level in the context of the nation’s “dare to spend”; Meituan The launch of Pinhaofan, Xicha to create Xixiaocha, etc., are considered to be the top brands starting to crack down on dimensionality reduction.

In fact, the so-called degraded consumption can also be interpreted as a rational return. When people have experienced extraordinary ups and downs, they will cherish the ordinary and peaceful life more and will treat consumption more rationally.

Keyword 04: live broadcast

All kinds of joint consumer vouchers, discount activities, price-cut sales... Focusing on stimulating consumption, catering people in 2020 will take great pains. Live broadcast will become a "big killer" for catering brands in 2020.

McDonald’s CEO Zhang Jiayin opened the McDonald’s live broadcast debut in station B; Luo Yonghao brought 200 million yuan Xinliangji crayfish and 100,000 Naixue’s tea shopping cards; Via spent 8 minutes selling 58,000 copies of Peijie’s old hot pot base Material... Major catering companies gathered together and entered the live broadcast room.

Under the normalization of the epidemic situation, the popularity of online live broadcast will continue. However, limited by live broadcast characteristics such as "pit fee", anchor commission, and brand's own traffic, not all catering companies are suitable for live broadcast.

Keywords 05: retail

In 2020, the new retail business of Xibei Younian Village, Meizhou Dongpo, and Xiaonanguo will be improved; Guoquan Shihui, Quick Match and other hot pot ingredient retail brands will quickly expand their boundaries; Hema, Dingdong buy food Fresh new retail platforms such as, Daily Fresh and other fresh foods are flourishing...Retailization has become a new trend in the catering industry in 2020. Among them, the catering industry is shifting to online through retail products, and there are also retail trades. The cross-border collision of the catering industry.

Undoubtedly, the epidemic has catalyzed the development of new retail and cross-border retail catering, but ultimately supporting the continued improvement of catering retailing is that retail provides a new marketing growth point for the catering industry. Retail makes the catering industry more convenient and more convenient. Diversity, which caters to the diverse needs of modern society.

Keyword 06: fast food

On December 12, Haidilao's fast food sub-brand "Qiaoqiao's Fan" opened its first store in Zhengzhou, which means that Haidilao's fast food army has added another member. Prior to this, Haidilao successively launched brands such as Lao Pai You Noodles, Shiba Jiu, Fanfanlin, Qin Xiaoxian, Baifu Private Noodles, Xinqinpai Noodles, etc., constantly testing the water fast food. At the same time, Xibei You Noodle Village is also the one who die in fast food. This year, Xibei You Noodle Village strategically invested in the fast food brand Xiaonvhou, and plans to open a new brand Gongchangzhang. Although it has been rumored that Xibei will suspend the layout of fast food due to the listing plan, Xibei's dedication to fast food is already obvious to all.

Big food brands favor fast food investment. Many people point out that it is also a manifestation of "consumption degradation". In fact, the popularity of fast food is more of a necessary stage under the branding trend of the fast food sector.

Keywords 07: plant meat

Plant meat has been on fire from 2019 to 2020. 2019 is the capital year of plant meat. In this year, BeyondMeat is listed as the first plant meat company. Plant meat companies such as Weekly Zero and Vesta have completed financing; 2020 is the year of plant meat products, Starbucks, Burger King, KFC, Food and beverage brands such as Heytea, Naixue's Tea, and Dicos have launched new plant meat products.

With the concept of green and health, plant meat, which is favored by capital, has developed rapidly in the past two years. However, as a new thing, it will take some time to be widely used.

Keywords 08: Cross-border cooperation

In the past, cross-border cooperation in the catering industry was mainly reflected in the marketing level, often in the form of co-branded new products and IP implants. In 2020, when catering people are racking their brains to help themselves, cross-industry cooperation has more directions, such as joint consumer coupons.

The 5 million vouchers issued by Wuhan in November were customized by the Wuhan Catering Association and the Cloud QuickPass APP. Hundreds of well-known restaurants including Sanwusan, Hujin, Little Blue Whale, Banqiushan, and Dayu participated in the vouchers. activity.

Keywords 09: Digital Intelligence Transformation

The catering industry is entering the era of digital intelligence from the digital age. On the one hand, the catering industry collectively launched a digital upgrade model, on the other hand, smart catering began to enter the market with a high profile. Haidilao’s unmanned smart restaurant, Country Garden’s robot restaurant, and the recently explosive “face-making monster” restaurant made by robots all herald the rapid intelligence of the catering industry.

Digital intelligence will continue to accelerate in the future to promote the increase in revenue and efficiency of the catering industry.

Keyword 10: group meal

This is another catering sector that has been ignited by the epidemic. According to data provided by the China Hotel Association and iiMedia, total catering revenue is expected to fall by 17.5% due to the epidemic in 2020, but the group catering industry has achieved counter-trend growth. This is due to the fact that during the epidemic period, more than 65% of group meal companies’ revenues were not affected or achieved growth. The total group meal market in 2020 is expected to reach 153 million yuan, and the market share will increase to 35.75%.

At the same time when business group meals were booming, Alibaba entered the community group meal scene by means of Hema, Retail Link, and Investment Tenhui Group. In the epidemic environment, group meals still have more room for growth.

Keyword 11: takeaway

It is similar to the growth of group meals. People reduce dine-in meals and also win development opportunities for takeaways. IiMedia Consulting’s "Special Research Report on Merchants in China’s Catering Food Delivery Market during the 2020 Epidemic" published at the beginning of this year showed that the online food delivery market reached 577.93 billion yuan in 2019, a year-on-year increase of 36.0%; Driven by the two-way demand, the scale of the takeaway market is expected to exceed 650 billion yuan in 2020.

It is reported that due to the uncertain factors of the epidemic, some cities have begun to urgently recruit takeaway riders to prepare for the next takeaway battle that may be re-staged during the Spring Festival.

Keyword 12: private domain traffic

Community group buying, mini program retail, Moments takeaway, etc., among the common traffic diversion scenarios used by these restaurants, private domain traffic is all targeted. When the dividends of public domain traffic have almost disappeared, private domain traffic has become a new battlefield for restaurants seeking to increase sales.

But for most small and medium-sized catering companies, the card of private domain traffic is not easy to play. It is the large catering company with its own traffic that can really do a good job in private domain traffic.

2020 will come to an end, but the impact of the epidemic on all walks of life is still continuing.

In 2021, we look forward to the effective control of the global epidemic. We hope to work together through this special and difficult time, reshape the destiny of the industry that has been rewritten in 2020, and embrace the sunny future of catering under the new trend!