‘Hermès of ice cream’ brand Zhong Xue Gao under fire after founder says people complaining about high prices can take it or leave it
- Chinese social media has reacted by suggesting far cheaper brands of ice cream are just as good
- Founder has defended the price, saying even if he sold his ice creams at cost price, some would still consider it too expensive
The founder of a Chinese ice cream company is under fire for defending his product’s high prices and saying he did not care if the public bought it or not.
Dubbed the “Hermès of ice cream” due to its premium market position, the mainland China-based brand Zhong Xue Gao has been popular since its establishment in early 2018.
In an interview with Beijing TV, the company founder Lin Sheng said its gross profits were just “a little bit higher” than those of traditional ice creams.
He gave as an example the most expensive product the company sold, which is called Ecuador Pink. It is mainly made of pink cocoa powder extracted from a plant growing in the South American country and Japanese shaddock juice.
“It was sold at 66 yuan (US$10.30), while its cost was almost 40 yuan (US$6.25),” Lin said. “This is its price. Take it or leave it.”
Lin’s comments have been viewed 640 million times on Weibo, with 42,000 comments left on the platform.