In a whirlwind of startups among young people in China, the trend of opening tiramisu stalls on the sidewalk has swept across large and small cities in China, creating a unique and attractive business phenomenon. Not just a temporary trend, selling tiramisu on the sidewalk has become a potential career choice, attracting many people, especially those who want to find additional sources of income or change their current job.
The explosion of this trend has created a strong wave of "quitting jobs", when many people decided to embark on the path of baking, taking advantage of their free time to create delicious, attractive tiramisu, attracting a large number of customers. From compact car trunks, "logistics" tiramisu has quickly spread across the streets, penetrating every corner of the city, even peaceful towns and countryside. This trend does not stop at car trunks, but also quickly transformed into mobile tiramisu stalls, springing up like mushrooms after rain, creating a vibrant and colorful business picture.
In recent years, many women in China have competed to open tiramisu stalls to earn extra money in their spare time.
The popularity of this trend is also clearly shown on social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Douyin, where tens of thousands of articles and videos with millions of views about selling tiramisu on the sidewalk are shared every day. A prominent slogan on social media has become a symbol of this trend: "Life is not only 8 hours in the office, but also has tiramisu on the sidewalk...", expressing the desire for freedom and passion for business of young Chinese people.
According to information from page 163, a real interview in Chengdu, China revealed impressive figures about the income of a "logistics" tiramisu seller. With a selling price of 21-25 yuan (about 74,000 - 88,000 VND) per piece, each time he sells about 60 pieces, he brings in revenue of more than 30,000 yuan (about 105 million VND) per month. If you calculate the 50% profit as the seller claims, and do not have to pay for renting a space, this number is really attractive. Just standing and selling for a few hours a day, the income far exceeds that of an office job, making many people wish and want to try.
The success of the tiramisu street trend not only reflects the change in consumer trends, but also shows the dynamism and adaptability of Chinese people to new business opportunities. They have turned familiar streets into "tiramisu paradises", providing consumers with unique and interesting culinary experiences, and opening up a potential entrepreneurial path for passionate and creative people.
This is a unique opportunity for young people to make money.
Although the trend of opening tiramisu stalls on the sidewalks is creating a fever across the streets of China, the reality of running a business is not as simple as the flashy advertisements on social networks. Behind the attractive income figures are countless difficulties and challenges that sellers have to face.
One of the biggest problems is the fluctuation of raw material prices. Mascarpone, the main ingredient in tiramisu, is becoming expensive and scarce due to the sudden increase in demand. Prices can double or even lead to supply shortages, leaving many vendors in a difficult position. Some people even jokingly said, "This wave of sidewalk tiramisu is definitely being controlled by the mascarpone supplier!"
What’s more surprising is that even ladyfingers, a seemingly simple ingredient, are rising in price. This suggests that many newcomers to the industry are taking the easy route of buying them off the shelf instead of making them themselves, leading to a more chaotic and competitive market.
“Get rich quick” videos on social media often ignore a harsh reality: sidewalk vending is a “live by the sky” profession. Weather plays a decisive role in the sales person’s revenue. A popular saying in the industry is: “If the wind blows, it will be cut in half, but if it rains, it will be lost!” Weather that is too cold or too hot will affect the purchasing power of customers. Heavy rain will force the sales person to stop, while light rain is enough to give the sales person a headache. Experienced people say that the number of days with ideal weather to sell in a year is only about half a year. Therefore, the initial dream revenue is often divided in half, or even lower.
Many challenges for sellers from raw materials to weather..
If you choose to sell at organized markets, the cost is also a big burden. Booth rental fees range from 200-300 yuan/day (about 700,000 VND), in some places up to thousands of yuan (about 3.5 million VND). If you choose to sell spontaneously on the roadside, the seller faces many risks, from being chased to fierce competition.
Risks and high costs are also challenges that young entrepreneurs need to pay attention to.
Recently, competition in the tiramisu sidewalk industry is becoming fiercer than ever. On the same street, 3-4 different tiramisu stalls have sprung up, leading to price competition and competition for selling space. Not only that, unhealthy competitive tricks such as defamation online, copying product ideas, and even blatantly "borrowing" brand names and stall layouts have also appeared more and more. This malicious competition not only hurts the sellers, but also destroys the beauty and sophistication of the nightlife district.
However, it cannot be denied that sidewalk selling brings job opportunities to young people and enriches the world of cakes.
Despite many challenges and difficulties, it is undeniable that the sidewalk selling trend has brought valuable job opportunities to young people and contributed to enriching the colorful world of cakes. The creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of the sellers have created unique business models, bringing consumers new and interesting culinary experiences.
Inspired by the success of tiramisu on the sidewalk, many other creative business models have also emerged, such as mobile sandwich carts. The boom of sidewalk sales is also associated with a turbulent social context. When jobs become scarce and stores face many difficulties, sidewalk sales have become an economic "salvation" for many people. At the same time, the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic have made people crave outdoor spaces, looking for experiences close to nature and community.
