Diverse in style and flavor but uniform in the joyous spirit they represent, mooncakes capture the quintessence of Chinese traditions and are in high demand every Mid-Autumn Festival.

However, consumer behavior has evolved over the years, with buyers now more aware of packaging, pricing and content. This has prompted sellers to improve both production quality and sales strategies to rope in more customers.

The changes are discernible at some major supermarkets in Beijing this year. At Wumart, one of China's largest retail chains, mooncake gift boxes are priced at around 150 yuan ($21) on average, and the most expensive one is tagged at 498 yuan.

"This year, our mooncakes are quite reasonably priced. For example, a gift box for 128 yuan contains one large mooncake and six small ones, weighing 920 grams in total," said a supermarket employee surnamed Zhang.

Affordable mooncakes are a trend beyond the Chinese capital. Zheng Ziqin, owner of a bakery in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, said her gift boxes had a price tag of only 55 yuan. "We realized our customers are not fond of buying fancy, expensive mooncakes anymore," she added.

On e-commerce platform Douyin, mooncakes are placed in the below-50 yuan product section, which experts said reflects the priority of consumers when selecting items, making market competition fiercer for producers.

Another noticeable difference in consumer behavior this year is the loss of interest in mooncakes with fancy fillings, with most buyers looking for simple, traditional varieties.

Xu Zhuqin, who works in Shanghai, said she bought meat mooncakes from Sam's Club and Freshippo this year.

"We are fond of freshly baked ones, especially during the holiday. Sam's Club is selling 12 meat mooncakes for 26 yuan, while at Freshippo, it is 15 yuan for four pieces, which, if you ask me, is high cost performance," Xu said.

Apart from pricing and packaging, consumer well-being is also receiving priority treatment. At both online stores and brick-and-mortar shops, "low-sugar" and "clean ingredients" are among eye-catching labels.

According to Freshippo's research, development and procurement department, a recent survey indicated that 96.7 percent of its buyers consider "healthiness" their top priority when selecting mooncakes. So the grocery chain introduced low-sugar mooncakes, including lava egg custard and pine nut varieties, and also changed a key ingredient in the crust, using rice flour to lower the pastry's fat and sugar content.

The normal shelf life of traditional mooncakes was considered to be over four months, but now most brands have reduced it to three and some have even cut it to 60 days, with the general belief being the shorter the shelf life, the healthier the mooncake.

Noting the fierce competition in the sector, Zhan Junhao, founder of Fujian Huace Brand Positioning Consulting, said that mooncake bakers need to accurately grasp the dynamic changes in consumer demand.

"First, they should set reasonable prices, keeping them around 100 to 200 yuan. Second, they should introduce more low-sugar mooncake varieties, reduce additives and innovate in terms of filling and dough to offer healthier options," he said, adding that fair price along with healthy ingredients is key to winning more customers.

Data from market consultancy iiMedia Research shows China's production of mooncakes reached 548,000 metric tons in 2024, up 11.4 percent year-on-year, while sales revenue totaled 30 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.6 percent.

zhengyiran@chinadaily.com.cn