Is Food Agency the Biggest Scam in 2024?

At 2 a.m., when Ms. Li saw the live - streaming video of that popular chili sauce for the 8th time, she suddenly realized that: Food online agency is quietly rewriting the income - generating logic of ordinary people. As wechat business in the circle of friends is gradually declining, a more lightweight and more vertical business model - food online agency, is becoming a new trend with the advantages of "zero inventory" and "high repurchase rate".

According to the data of Zhongshitong Research Institute, the online penetration rate of snack foods in China reached 37% in 2023. Different from the traditional agency model, modern food online agency presents three characteristics:

• Decentralized Product Selection: Mr. Zhang tested through a Douyin store and found that the conversion rate of regional characteristic foods was 2.3 times higher than that of big brands
• Dynamic Commission System: Some platforms adopt a two - track system of "fission + rebate", and the income of second - level agents can reach 15% of the first order
• Lightweight Operation: 90% of agents use the "drop - shipping" mode, and the warehousing cost is almost zero

An anonymous agent revealed that there are three hidden risks in the industry:

• The life cycle of popular online foods is generally less than 6 months
• 23.7% of agency contracts have ambiguous clauses
• The logistics loss rate of cold - chain foods is as high as 12%

The case library of Zhongshitong shows that successful agents often follow:

• Test Period: First, buy and experience the product as a consumer
• Data - driven Product Selection: Pay attention to the "product reputation score" and repurchase rate indicators on Douyin
• Scene - based Marketing: Implant food into specific consumption scenarios such as offices or camping

When we discuss food online agency, essentially we are discussing how to reconstruct the traditional food circulation chain with Internet thinking. Perhaps the only thing between you and the next popular product is a brave test. Now, might as well open your shopping cart and see: Do those delicious foods that make you can't help placing an order also hide agency opportunities?