Report: Consumers keen to buy healthier mooncakes

Data showed that more than 90 percent of consumers are showing interest in mooncakes that feature health elements, according to a latest report by consulting firm iiMedia Research.

More than 62 percent pay more attention to flavors and 59.6 percent to the taste of mooncakes, which are a traditional treat for the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept 29 this year.

Mooncake gift boxes packaged with Chinese-style elements are the favorite among Chinese consumers, accounting for 38.4 percent of the total, followed by the simple style at 34.1 percent.

Traditional mooncakes stuffed with sweet bean paste, lotus seeds, roasted pork, nuts and egg yolk are the most popular among consumers, the report said.

Meanwhile, the new-type flavor and cross-industry cooperation mooncakes are also welcomed by customers, offering more business opportunities for mooncake makers.

In 2022, the output of Chinese mooncakes rose to 437,000 tons from 328,000 tons in 2015, according to the report. 

Due to consumers' flavor diversity, the growing demand from gifting and the expanding of sales channels such as livestreaming platforms, the market of mooncake gift boxes is expected to reach 20.87 billion yuan ($2.9 billion) by 2023 and 24.7 billion yuan by 2025, iiMedia Research predicted.