Driven by the fast-paced life, the convenience food market continues to evolve. Self-heating hot pot and self-heating rice, which were once highly anticipated, are now facing numerous challenges in the market. According to relevant data, although the market size of self-heating hot pot reached 18 billion yuan in 2024, accounting for approximately 2.40% of the hot pot market, and is expected to grow to 21.5 billion yuan in 2025, with the proportion increasing to 2.69%, its growth rate has significantly slowed down. In the first quarter of 2025, the market shares of self-heating rice and self-heating hot pot both dropped below 1%, with a significant year-on-year decline. The market share of self-heating rice declined by 28.42% year-on-year, and that of self-heating hot pot dropped by 19.31% year-on-year.
The market for self-heating hot pot and self-heating rice has cooled down, and the reasons are multi-faceted. Consumer demands are becoming increasingly diverse and rational. The convenience of takeout services and the abundance of dining options have reduced consumers' reliance on such fast food. Meanwhile, consumers' demands for the taste and nutrition of food are constantly rising, and the relatively single taste and combination of self-heating products are difficult to meet the demands. For instance, some consumers have reported that the taste of self-heating hot pot is significantly different from that of traditional freshly cooked hot pot, and the freshness of the ingredients is insufficient. The lack of innovation in self-heating hot pot brands is also a major issue. The product forms and flavors have been solidified for a long time. Most brands only offer a limited number of flavors, which makes it difficult to stimulate consumers' enthusiasm for repurchase. Moreover, with numerous brands entering the market one after another, the homogenized competition in the market has become fierce, further compressing the profit margin.
Despite the difficulties faced by self-heating hot pot and self-heating rice, the convenience food market as a whole remains vibrant. Instant noodles, as the main force of convenience foods, saw their market share increase to 40.78% in the first quarter of 2025, growing by 6.21% year-on-year, and continued to dominate the market. This is attributed to the continuous innovation of instant noodle enterprises in terms of taste, packaging, and health concepts. For instance, they have launched healthier non-fried noodle sheets, added a variety of side dishes, and developed small-packaged products suitable for different consumption scenarios. Luncheon meat has performed outstandingly in the convenience food market. Although its market share is only 1.28%, its year-on-year growth rate is as high as 9.95%. Its rising popularity is related to consumers' emphasis on protein intake and the wide applicability of luncheon meat in cooking. It is convenient to pair with staple foods or as an ingredient for hot pot.
In response to the changes in the self-heating hot pot and self-heating rice markets, enterprises are actively exploring countermeasures. On the one hand, increase investment in research and development to promote product innovation. At the 2025 Shanghai Xiya International Food Exhibition, Jinhe Fresh Food Rice launched four new self-heating rice products, covering various flavors such as teriyaki chicken rice, fish-flavored shredded pork rice, grilled pepper beef rice, and Taiwanese-style braised pork rice. These products are precisely targeted at different scenarios including business trips, outdoor adventures, campus dining, and convenient retail. Its rice is made with an original 6S fresh-keeping process, which can be stored at room temperature for up to 10 months. It has also passed the halal certification, preparing for the expansion of the international market. On the other hand, enterprises actively expand their sales channels. While consolidating the e-commerce channels (accounting for over 60% of self-heating food sales), self-heating food enterprises have strengthened cooperation with offline channels such as convenience stores and supermarkets, and also increased product sales and brand awareness through emerging methods such as live-streaming sales. Some brands are also setting their sights on overseas markets. For instance, with the assistance of Xiamen Customs, Fujian Honglv Food Co., Ltd. has achieved a breakthrough in the export of self-heating rice from Fujian Province, selling its products far and wide abroad.
Looking ahead, convenience food enterprises such as self-heating hot pot and self-heating rice need to continuously pay attention to changes in consumer demands, be driven by innovation, and make efforts in aspects such as product taste, nutritional combination, and packaging design. At the same time, they should optimize the supply chain to reduce costs and expand domestic and international markets. Only in this way can they stand out in the fierce market competition and achieve sustainable development. The convenience food industry will also be constantly evolving, providing consumers with more high-quality, convenient and delicious products.
The market for self-heating hot pot and self-heating rice has cooled down, and the reasons are multi-faceted. Consumer demands are becoming increasingly diverse and rational. The convenience of takeout services and the abundance of dining options have reduced consumers' reliance on such fast food. Meanwhile, consumers' demands for the taste and nutrition of food are constantly rising, and the relatively single taste and combination of self-heating products are difficult to meet the demands. For instance, some consumers have reported that the taste of self-heating hot pot is significantly different from that of traditional freshly cooked hot pot, and the freshness of the ingredients is insufficient. The lack of innovation in self-heating hot pot brands is also a major issue. The product forms and flavors have been solidified for a long time. Most brands only offer a limited number of flavors, which makes it difficult to stimulate consumers' enthusiasm for repurchase. Moreover, with numerous brands entering the market one after another, the homogenized competition in the market has become fierce, further compressing the profit margin.
Despite the difficulties faced by self-heating hot pot and self-heating rice, the convenience food market as a whole remains vibrant. Instant noodles, as the main force of convenience foods, saw their market share increase to 40.78% in the first quarter of 2025, growing by 6.21% year-on-year, and continued to dominate the market. This is attributed to the continuous innovation of instant noodle enterprises in terms of taste, packaging, and health concepts. For instance, they have launched healthier non-fried noodle sheets, added a variety of side dishes, and developed small-packaged products suitable for different consumption scenarios. Luncheon meat has performed outstandingly in the convenience food market. Although its market share is only 1.28%, its year-on-year growth rate is as high as 9.95%. Its rising popularity is related to consumers' emphasis on protein intake and the wide applicability of luncheon meat in cooking. It is convenient to pair with staple foods or as an ingredient for hot pot.
In response to the changes in the self-heating hot pot and self-heating rice markets, enterprises are actively exploring countermeasures. On the one hand, increase investment in research and development to promote product innovation. At the 2025 Shanghai Xiya International Food Exhibition, Jinhe Fresh Food Rice launched four new self-heating rice products, covering various flavors such as teriyaki chicken rice, fish-flavored shredded pork rice, grilled pepper beef rice, and Taiwanese-style braised pork rice. These products are precisely targeted at different scenarios including business trips, outdoor adventures, campus dining, and convenient retail. Its rice is made with an original 6S fresh-keeping process, which can be stored at room temperature for up to 10 months. It has also passed the halal certification, preparing for the expansion of the international market. On the other hand, enterprises actively expand their sales channels. While consolidating the e-commerce channels (accounting for over 60% of self-heating food sales), self-heating food enterprises have strengthened cooperation with offline channels such as convenience stores and supermarkets, and also increased product sales and brand awareness through emerging methods such as live-streaming sales. Some brands are also setting their sights on overseas markets. For instance, with the assistance of Xiamen Customs, Fujian Honglv Food Co., Ltd. has achieved a breakthrough in the export of self-heating rice from Fujian Province, selling its products far and wide abroad.
Looking ahead, convenience food enterprises such as self-heating hot pot and self-heating rice need to continuously pay attention to changes in consumer demands, be driven by innovation, and make efforts in aspects such as product taste, nutritional combination, and packaging design. At the same time, they should optimize the supply chain to reduce costs and expand domestic and international markets. Only in this way can they stand out in the fierce market competition and achieve sustainable development. The convenience food industry will also be constantly evolving, providing consumers with more high-quality, convenient and delicious products.
