Read More《19块9一只的烤鸭里，藏着西方学不会的中国魔法》
Positive Comments: The “Chinese Industrial Chain Alchemy” Behind the 19.9-yuan Roast Duck, a Benchmark for Manufacturing Refinement and Resource Utilization
A roast duck priced at 19.9 yuan, seemingly a “losing proposition” that defies business logic, is actually an industrial miracle of in – depth collaboration and extreme resource utilization in the Chinese industrial chain. This phenomenon not only reflects the upgrade of Chinese manufacturing from the “world’s factory” to the “global resource alchemist”, but also demonstrates how the industrial wisdom of “making the best use of everything” reshapes the consumer market.
I. The “Efficiency Revolution” from Breeding to Processing Redefines Low Cost and High Value
The Cherry Valley ducks mentioned in the news are truly “predestined meat ducks”. They can reach a weight of over 6 catties in 45 days, with a feed conversion ratio of 2:1 (2 catties of feed for 1 catty of meat), far exceeding the 1.7 – 1.8:1 of white – feather chickens and even 50% more efficient than pig farming. More importantly, farmers have compressed the slaughter cycle of lightweight ducks (about 3 catties) to 25 days through specialized breeding standards, with a turnover rate 1.8 times that of white – feather chickens. This “domination in breeding efficiency” provides an abundant and inexpensive raw material basis for downstream industries.
But the real “magic” lies in the in – depth segmentation and collaboration of the industrial chain. In the 1980s, the Chinese duck industrial chain was still in the stage of “individual household scattered breeding”, with high costs and low efficiency. Now, from the intelligent duck sheds in Shandong (where a single breeder can manage 60,000 ducks) to the modern duck factories in Henan (which can slaughter 9 ducks per second), and then to the industrial cluster of “breeding – slaughtering – processing – sales” in Linyi, the standardized, large – scale, and intelligent full – chain collaboration has minimized the loss of each duck.
II. The Extreme Development of “Disassembling the Duck” Turns “Scraps” into the Core of Profits
Different from the rough treatment in European and American countries where parts of the duck other than duck down, duck breast, and duck legs become pet food or fertilizer, the Chinese industrial chain divides the duck into eight parts, and each part is developed into high – value – added products: duck down (accounting for 80% of the global output), duck tongues/duck necks (marinated flavors), duck livers (for export), duck intestines/duck blood (for hot pots), duck skeletons (for collagen peptides)… Finally, the duck embryo, regarded as “scraps”, only accounts for 25% of the cost of the whole duck (with a wholesale price of 7 – 8 yuan), supporting the profit margin of the 19.9 – yuan roast duck (with a profit rate of 36%).
This innovative application of the “razor – blade model” (selling the main product at a low price and making profits from accessories) essentially redefines the value of resources. Just as crayfish has changed from being “disliked by foreigners” to becoming the “king of midnight snacks” (with chitin extracted from the shells) and corncobs have changed from being “burned or landfilled” to becoming “xylitol/activated carbon” (Tanghetang in Jinan accounts for 30% of the global production capacity), the Chinese industrial chain uses its ability to “turn waste into treasure” to transform “waste materials” into the “future”.
III. The “Industrial Iteration Engine” Driven by Market Scale and Competition
The popularity of the 19.9 – yuan roast duck is inseparable from the Chinese context of “a large population, a vast market, and fierce competition”. The huge consumer base makes it possible for the low – price model to achieve large – scale profits, and the fierce competition forces the industrial chain to continuously optimize – from the refinement of breeding standards to the upgrading of processing technologies, and then to the penetration of sales channels (supermarkets, street stores, affordable packages at Hema). Innovations in each link are quickly verified and promoted by the market. This positive cycle of “demand – supply – technology” enables the Chinese industrial chain to break through technological bottlenecks and even achieve global leadership in some fields (such as biomass methanol and aviation fuel made from waste cooking oil).
Negative Comments: Behind the “Industrial Magic” of Low – price Roast Ducks, There Are Three Potential Challenges
The success of the 19.9 – yuan roast duck is a microcosm of the advantages of the Chinese industrial chain, but we also need to be vigilant about the hidden concerns behind it. From consumer trust to the resilience of the industrial chain and the space for brand upgrading, if these issues are not properly addressed, they may restrict the long – term sustainability of the model.
I. The Cognitive Bias of “Low Price = Low Quality” Weakens the Foundation of Consumer Trust
Although the news emphasizes that Cherry Valley ducks do not require hormones and the breeding standards are safe, the ultra – low price of the “19.9 – yuan roast duck” still easily triggers consumers’ doubts about the quality. Some consumers may associate the low price with “inferior meat” and “chemical additives”, and even develop a stereotyped impression of “cheap things are of poor quality”. If this cognitive bias is not effectively resolved, it may lead to a stagnant acceptance of low – price roast ducks in the market and even damage the reputation of the entire industrial chain. For example, if a certain brand is exposed for hygiene problems, it may also affect the trust in all low – price roast ducks.
II. The Highly Divided Industrial Chain Needs to Be Tested for Its Risk – Resistance Ability
The current efficient operation of the roast duck industrial chain depends on the close collaboration of each link in “breeding – slaughtering – processing – sales”. However, high – level division of labor also means that “a single change can affect the whole chain”: if there are fluctuations in a certain link (such as duckling supply, feed prices, logistics and transportation) (such as the epidemic, natural disasters, policy adjustments), it may lead to the breakage of the entire chain. For example, during the 2020 epidemic, the transportation of live poultry was restricted in some areas, resulting in a large backlog of ducks at the breeding end. If environmental protection policies are tightened in the future and the standards for duck shed construction or slaughterhouse emissions are raised, it may also increase the breeding cost and compress the profit margin of low – price roast ducks.
III. The Low – price Label Restricts Brand Upgrading and Makes It Difficult to Expand into the High – end Market
Currently, the 19.9 – yuan roast duck mainly meets the “daily consumption” demand, while Beijing roast duck (such as Dadong and Quanjude) targets the “high – end banquet” market, forming a market segmentation. However, the success of the low – price model may make enterprises fall into the “low – price dependence” and find it difficult to extend into the mid – high – end market. For example, if a brand has long focused on the 19.9 – yuan roast duck, its brand image may be solidified as “cheap”, and consumers may have difficulty accepting its higher – priced products (such as the 39.9 – yuan “premium roast duck”). In addition, the high – end market has higher requirements for food quality (such as the subcutaneous fat thickness of Beijing ducks), craftsmanship (roasting and slicing on the spot), and service experience, and the standardized model of the low – price industrial chain may not be directly replicated.
Suggestions for Entrepreneurs: Extract Reusable Industrial Wisdom from the “Roast Duck Magic”
The success of the 19.9 – yuan roast duck is essentially a triple victory of “in – depth collaboration in the industrial chain + extreme utilization of resources + matching market demand”. For entrepreneurs, the following key experiences can be extracted:
I. Deeply Cultivate Industrial Chain Collaboration and Dig for “Hidden Profit Points”
Entrepreneurs need to break out of the “single – link” thinking and focus on the collaborative value of the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain. For example, the roast duck industry realizes “multiple sales” by splitting each part of the duck (duck down, internal organs, skeletons, etc.) and turns “scraps” into high – profit products. Similarly, other industries (such as agricultural product processing and food manufacturing) can also explore the “full – resource utilization” model: for example, fruit processing enterprises can extract essential oils from fruit kernels and make feed from fruit peels, transforming the originally discarded parts into additional income.
II. Use “Data + Standards” to Resolve the Trust Crisis and Strengthen Quality Transparency
In response to the cognitive bias of “low price = low quality”, entrepreneurs need to build trust through data and standards. For example, the roast duck industry can disclose the breeding cycle, feed formula, and test reports (such as hormone residues and microbial indicators) of Cherry Valley ducks, and even allow consumers to scan the code to view the whole process of the duck’s breeding, slaughtering, and processing through a “traceability system”. Similarly, other low – price products (such as 10 – yuan fast food and 5 – yuan milk tea) can also eliminate consumers’ doubts about quality through methods such as “transparent kitchens” and “public disclosure of raw material origins”.
III. Position the Market in Layers to Avoid the Solidification of the “Low – price Label”
Entrepreneurs need to clearly define the market segmentation of their products and avoid being restricted by the “low – price” label. For example, the roast duck industry can simultaneously layout the “19.9 – yuan daily version” and the “89 – yuan premium version” (such as roasting and slicing on the spot and using higher – quality duck embryos), covering different consumption scenarios (daily consumption vs. family dinners) through different product lines. In addition, the concept of “high – efficiency does not mean low – quality” can be conveyed through brand stories, for example, emphasizing “using technology to make high – quality ingredients more affordable” rather than simply promoting “cheapness”.
IV. Build a “Resilient Industrial Chain” to Cope with External Risks
The highly divided industrial chain needs to strengthen its risk – resistance ability. Entrepreneurs can do the following: first, establish backup suppliers in multiple regions (such as having duckling suppliers in Shandong, Henan, and Anhui) to avoid the impact of fluctuations in a single region on the whole; second, sign long – term agreements with upstream and downstream enterprises (such as locking in feed prices and ensuring the slaughter volume) to reduce the risk of cost fluctuations; third, reserve “emergency inventories” (such as stocking 1 – 2 weeks of duck embryo inventory) to cope with short – term supply disruptions.
Conclusion: The “Chinese magic” of the 19.9 – yuan roast duck is essentially a combination of the industrial wisdom of “making the best use of everything” and the industrial chain ability of “collaborative innovation”. It not only makes roast duck shift from “high – end banquets” to “daily consumption”, but also verifies the upgrading path of Chinese manufacturing from “scale expansion” to “value deep – digging”. For entrepreneurs, the inspiration from this case is that real business competitiveness is not only the efficiency improvement of a single link, but also the in – depth integration of the entire industrial chain and the extreme development of resources – when “waste materials” are redefined as “treasures”, new “industrial miracles” may be born in every industry.
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