RT-Mart launches its first nationwide "Hot Pot Zone"; Dingdong brings HPP hot pot bases to the table: In 2026's hot pot season, supermarket product curation has reached new levels of intensity.
But the most notable change this year isn't in the data—it's in the strategy—Top retailers shift from "piling up ingredients" to "selling a hot pot experience."The product sourcing logic has changed, the display strategy has changed, and so has the supply chain.
Weekly sales in Hangzhou
10 month hot pot meat sales
Core Category: Hot Pot
I. Display Revolution: Reorganize "Hot Pot Ingredients" Using the Logic of "Ordering a Hot Pot Meal"
Historically, hot pot displays in supermarkets followed a category-based logic: sauces in the condiments aisle, frozen beef and mutton in the freezer section, meatballs and fish balls on center islands, mushrooms and vegetables in fresh produce, and tableware in the general merchandise area—Consumers have to visit four districts to gather all the ingredients for one hot pot meal.The most noticeable change this year is reorganizing inventory based on the ordering sequence of a hot pot meal.
RT-Mart is launching its first nationwide "Hot Pot Zone" across all stores this year. Previously, shoppers had to visit multiple sections for ingredients—fresh produce, seasonings, and frozen goods. Now, the store layout follows a streamlined flow: broth base → dipping sauce → fresh-cut meats → signature hot pot items → mushrooms & vegetables → staple foods & snacks → beverages & desserts → cookware & tableware.One-stop solution。
More granularly, there's the "Official Pairing Recommendations." Each soup base—Guizhou Sour Soup, Hainan Pig Stomach Chicken, Old Beijing Lamb Scapula, and Leshan Qiaojiao Beef—is paired with suggested hot pot ingredients, staples, and snacks.Consumers aren't buying a single seasoning packet—they're investing in a complete city-style hot pot experience.。
Yonghui's "Flavor-Packed Hotpot Party" combines hotpot displays with tastings and cooking guidance. At the Tianjin Binhai location, nearly 50 ingredients were showcased in one area, featuring dedicated low-temperature refrigeration units, staff restocking, and free fresh-cut-and-served options.
The absolute core of our nourishing ingredients: beef and lamb, sourced directly from top-tier ranches with full traceability and transported via temperature-controlled cold chain.Fresh products slaughtered the same day, delivered to store by the next day., adjust stores to offer value-added services such as free processing, cooking guidance, and ingredient pairing suggestions.
II. Broth Upgrade: From "One Pack of Seasoning Paste" to "A Bowl of Real Ingredients"
The most prominent category upgrade this hot pot season is in the soup base. Consumer demand has evolved from "flavorful" to "substantial"—You must be able to see the real ingredients when opening the packet.Skip thin, watery sauces. Choose packs with rich solids and layered flavors.
Room temperature, long shelf life, single flavor with beef or tomato base, low solid content, and poor in-store reconstitution quality.
Chilled or HPP-locked freshness, 48-hour short shelf life. Regional flavors (sour soup, vinegar rice wine, snail duck feet, mushroom chicken), with official pairing suggestions for hot pot ingredients.
Dingdong Maicai's latest move is the most representative:
Introducing our debut cold-fresh soup bases and dipping sauces, featuring over a dozen regional options including Yunnan's fresh fruit sour soup and "Wu Mi Zhou" porridge pot.Refrigerated freshness; shelf life limited to 48 hours.Exclusive launch at the end of 9:锅底 and dipping sauces made with HPP ultra-high-pressure cold sterilization technology—zero preservatives, full retention of ingredient aroma.
Premium Beef: Chaoshan Fresh-Cut Beef is sourced from cows over five years old raised on grain feed. From slaughter to warehouse, it is never frozen or aged.On the table in as little as 12 hours; First-time listing of niche cuts like five-flower tendon, chest捞, and three-flower tendon at select stores. For the first time, salted sheep from Yanchi (a National Geographical Indication product) and Haimen goats are available in fresh-cut form on e-commerce platforms.
Pain Point Solutions: Dozens of ready-to-cook meal kits and pre-cleaned, boneless fish fillets eliminate the hassle of "one hour of prep for ten minutes of cooking."
7Fresh's core highlight for Hot Pot Season is its "Substantial Broth," complemented by signature dipping sauces from across China, including Guizhou Sour Soup with Charred Chili, Chongqing Garlic Sesame Oil, and Sichuan Pepper Sesame Paste. On the ingredient side, we feature "24-hour fresh-cut Chaoshan Beef Tenderloin."Only the most tender cuts from both sides of the beef rib are selected. With a yield of just 1% per cow, these premium cuts reach your store within 24 hours after slaughter and are available for sale only that day.。
Complementary Offer: From 9/28 to 10/8, buy hot pot season items worth over 99 yuan and get a complimentary tomato broth (valued at over 1 million). Stack with an additional 85 off on 4 items. Use the broth as a traffic driver and earn gross margin from our private-label meat products.
3. Generational and Regional Insights in Data: Tailor Your Product Selection Based on "Who Buys Where"
The biggest pitfall in selecting hot pot ingredients for supermarkets is the "one-size-fits-all" approach. Data from the JD.com Consumer Research Institute clearly breaks down flavor preferences by demographic:
Regional preferences are more pronounced. The same soup base sees vastly different sales performance between northern and southern regions:
Sichuan-Chongqing Beef Broth Pot:Guangdong, Jiangsu, Beijing, Sichuan, and Hubei have the highest purchase volumes;Chaoshan Beef Hot Pot:Guangdong, Beijing, Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Zhejiang are the key regions.Lamb Rib Pot:Beijing leads, with significant contributions from Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Shanghai.Pork Stomach Chicken / Coconut Chicken:The South China region has seen the strongest growth.
When it comes to supermarkets, there are three key things:
IV. Post-Service Checklist: The "Last Mile" of Hot Pot Business Is Often Overlooked
A Hema home and daily necessities procurement lead mentioned a detail in a public report—They developed a dedicated product line for post-hotpot cleanup.Odor-eliminating spray (for clothes and rooms), dishwashing pods (for grease), oil-absorbing sheets, disposable tablecloths, aprons.
This approach has been praised by industry experts as "having clearly mapped out the entire hotpot dining journey."Buying ingredients is just the first half; what's truly overlooked is what happens after you eat.Bundle after-sale items with the hot pot section to boost average order value and create a "this store gets me" experience that drives loyalty.
5. A 5-Step Action Plan for Retail Peers
2026 Hot Pot Season: 5 Things Supermarkets Can Do
Every winter, a wave of supermarkets sells hot pot ingredients, but only a few—like Hema, RT-Mart, Dingdong, 7Fresh, and Yonghui—stand out.Transform "selling ingredients" into "delivering a complete hot pot dining solution."。
The difference isn't in the price of meat rolls—it's in three cognitive upgrades: shifting displays from category logic to scenario logic, elevating hot pot bases from condiments to ingredients, and moving selection from a one-size-fits-all national approach to generation- and region-specific precision.
Hot pot season isn't about selling meat—it's about serving a steaming, home-style feast.Supermarkets that get this right will see a busy winter; those that don't will just keep staring at the 3 billion, 160 times, and 75% figures while wishing they were someone else.