China’s instant noodles sales for 2019 are on track to return to their high levels of 5 years ago, and it’s all down to luxury.
中国2019年的速食面销量有望恢复到5年前的高水平，这一切都归结于奢侈品。
A staggering 103.6 billion packets of instant noodles were sold worldwide in 2018, according to a report released by US consulting firm, Ries & Partners. In this noodle mountain, China ranks first, accounting for 38.85 percent of global instant noodle sales. China’s instant noodle market, which sold 44.4 billion packs in 2014, began a gradual decline in 2015, with 38.52 billion packs sold in 2016, the lowest in five years, according to the World Instant Noodle Association.
根据美国咨询公司Ries & Partners发布的一份报告，2018年全球销售了惊人的1036亿包速食面。 在这座面条山中，中国排名第一，占全球方便面销量的38.85%。 根据世界方便面协会的数据，中国方便面市场在2014年销售了444亿包，在2015年开始逐渐下降，2016年销售了385.2亿包，是五年来最低的。
“We won’t buy any instant noodles because they’re unhealthy”, Zong Qingyang from Suzhou University and Xu Jiaqian from Nanjing Normal University told The Nanjinger, summing up the feelings of many. As a result, China’s instant noodle market began a gradual decline in 2015, leading to a paltry 38.52 sales in 2016, the lowest in 5 years, according to the World Instant Noodle Association.
苏州大学的宗清阳和南京师范大学的徐家谦对《南京人》表示：“我们不会买任何方便面，因为它们不健康。” 因此，据世界方便面协会称，中国的方便面市场在2015年开始逐渐下降，导致2016年的销售额微不足道的38.52，是5年来的最低水平。
Now, however, since 2018, China’s instant noodles market sales have rebounded significantly, and are this year expected to return to 2014 levels. From figures released by top instant noodles enterprises, it is now the high-price brand products that are driving growth in the total income.
然而，现在，自2018年以来，中国的方便面市场销售额大幅回升，预计今年将恢复到2014年的水平。 从顶级方便面企业公布的数据来看，现在推动总收入增长的是高价品牌产品。
Designer bags, imported sports cars, golf club memberships; China’s thirst for luxury has finally reached instant noodles. Jia Huang, a student in San Jiang College, told the Nanjinger, “If the instant noodle is special enough, I’ll follow the trend, even if it is expensive”.
名牌包、进口跑车、高尔夫俱乐部会员；中国对奢侈品的渴求终于达到了方便面。 三江学院的学生贾黄告诉《南京人》：“如果方便面足够特别，我会追随潮流，即使它很贵。”
Jia is far from alone. The 2018 annual report for the Master Kang (康师傅) brand of instant noodles showed that the company’s revenue reached ¥60.686 billion in 2018, up 2.94 percent year-on-year. High-end noodles accounted for 40 percent of revenue, reflecting a trend toward product upgrades that has become a common choice for both big-name manufacturers and start ups.
Jia远非孤单。 康师傅品牌方便面的2018年年度报告显示，该公司2018年收入达到606.68亿日元，同比增长2.94%。 高端面条占收入的40%，反映了产品升级的趋势，已成为知名制造商和初创公司的常见选择。
Such numbers also mean the demographers have been hard at work. Buyers of high-end instant noodles largely share one or more characteristic.
这些数字也意味着人口学家们一直在努力工作。 高端方便面的买家主要有一个或多个共同的特点。
- Buried with work
- No time to buy food and cook
- Seek quality of life
- Do not want to muddle along
- Of the view that traditional instant noodles can fill a hunger but cannot be served as dinner
- Time does not permit delivery that takes at least 20 minutes
Therefore, many companies today are focusing on producing all kinds of ramen noodles, containing various types of meat toppings. The selling point thereof, “The real thing matches the picture”, justifies a price of ¥25-30 a pack.
因此，如今许多公司都专注于生产各种拉面，包括各种肉类配料。 其卖点是“真实的东西与图片相符”，证明每包25-30日元的价格是合理的。
According to Yang Xing, a department manager in Tuniu for 9 years, “They are delicious and fast, why not buy them?”. For people like Yang, instant noodles precisely meets their needs for a fast-paced lifestyle.
据屯牛9年的部门经理Yang Xing说：“它们既美味又快，为什么不买呢？”。 对于像杨这样的人来说，方便面正好满足了他们对快节奏生活方式的需求。
Yet, today’s luxury noodle is tomorrow’s junk food. With competition fierce and the next fad likely just around the corner, the business mantra today is “Make noodles while the sun shines”.
然而，今天的奢侈品面是明天的垃圾食品。 随着竞争激烈，下一个时尚可能就在眼前，今天的商业口头禅是“趁着阳光照做面条”。
