Boxed surprises

The recent Singles Day shopping festival, which started in late October and concluded on Nov 11, highlighted a new trend in consumer purchases of food and daily essentials: supermarket blind boxes have surged in popularity.

Supermarkets now offer a variety of blind box options, such as personal care sets, snack assortments, and even plant or plush toy boxes. Buyers often receive items with a higher value than the price paid, adding an element of surprise and excitement to the unboxing experience.

Blind boxes featuring hotpot ingredients, fruits, vegetables, and seafood are particularly popular, both in stores and on social media, where consumers eagerly share their unboxing moments. Those lucky enough to find a king crab in a seafood blind box feel thrilled, while those who get a common fish receive playful sympathy from their "online friends".

Some even purchase fruit blind boxes hoping for a rare durian, only to discover more common fruits like apples or pears.

Regardless of what they receive, consumers' enthusiasm for supermarket blind boxes is clear. A survey by Sanlian Life Lab and the JD Research Institute for Consumption and Industrial Development revealed that 38.1 percent of consumers find blind box products increasingly appealing, 51 percent are open to trying different types of blind boxes, and 29.8 percent are loyal to product sets.

The survey indicated that blind boxes are popular primarily because they are often more cost-effective than buying individual items. Over 40 percent of respondents also mentioned that blind box sets help them "save time, reduce effort, and make shopping easier", providing a diverse selection and a unique shopping experience.