Homemade drinks become a trend among young people in China

Prepackaged ice cups have been flying off the shelves at Chinese convenience stores this summer, as consumers increasingly opt for prepackaged teas, coffees and juices to make their own affordable cold drinks without having to go to a cafe.

China has been experiencing record-breaking heat this month in provinces along the country’s eastern coast, a weather extreme that has helped fuel the popularity of ice cups and other packaged drinks.

Amid a slowing economy and concerns about job prospects, consumers are becoming more cost-conscious and are starting to shun cafes like Starbucks and Luckin Coffee, bubble tea chains and juice bars.

Instead, they tend to prepare their own drinks at home or buy ready-made drinks at convenience stores.

A recent search for “ice cup” on China’s social media platform Xiaohongshu yielded more than 13,000 results, including posts by users in their 20s and 30s “showing off” their beverage creations at convenience stores at more economical prices.

Although pre-packaged ice cups have long been popular in South Korea and Japan, the trend only emerged in China this year, according to Jason Yu, CEO of market research firm Kantar Worldpanel.

He said the use of ice cups combined with packaged juices and coffees gives consumers a sense of bargain while still ensuring product quality. In convenience stores, ice cups typically cost between 3 and 9 yuan ($0.40 to $1.26).

Some beverage companies have noticed this trend and launched branded ice cups. Last month, popular milk tea brand Mixue began selling ice cups for just 1 yuan.

Nongfu Springs, China's largest bottled water supplier, also offers 160g ice cups for 3.5 yuan at convenience stores.

Although it has become a trend to do everything yourself to save money, not many people intend to make their own ice to replace the ice cups sold in convenience stores.