Snapshot of Jiang Xiaowei. Edited by Jiang Xiaowei. Subtitles by Zhu Yuting.
Jiang Xiaowei / brilliance
Affordable ice cream shop on Guohe Road in Yangpu
On hot summer days, enjoying ice cream is a great way to unwind.
In downtown Yangpu District, Guohe Cold Drink Wholesale Store in Guohe Road is popular with locals and people who live far away.
Unlike the “ice cream killer,” plain-looking ice cream that proves to be pricey when topped up, popsicles and ice cream are sold here at reasonable prices.
A saltwater lollipop, an old bite familiar to many native Shanghainese, costs just 0.9 yuan (13 US cents) each.
About 400 varieties can be found in 25 brands of ice cream in the store, and most of them range in price from 2 to 5 yuan.
Jiang Xiaowei / brilliance
The business strategy of store owner Zhao Xuekuan is small profits but fast turnover. All types of ice cream are sold in the store at a discount of 30 percent.
“I rarely raise the price of products in my store in the last 26 years,” Zhao said. Customers can eat more ice cream for less.
“We also sell some higher-priced ice cream, such as Zhong Xue Gao (Chice Cream) and Haagen-Dazs, but cheaper than other places.”
The fair price attracts many customers and some travel far to buy.
“I’ve been buying ice cream since I moved here three years ago,” said one customer. “They have the lowest price I know in Shanghai and a rich variety.”
Another woman, surnamed me, added, “I live in Jing’an, and my parents live near this place. I come here several times a year in the summer, and every time I buy about 100 to 200 yuan of ice cream.”
Jiang Xiaowei / brilliance
Store owner Zhao Xuekuan helps a female customer.
Some residents who live near the store have become loyal customers.
“I’ve been buying ice cream from her for nearly 20 years,” said a man named Chen. “It was located a smaller place near this, but the price has remained about the same.”
Since resuming operation on 1 June after the previous citywide closure, the store has moved from its old location of about 20 square meters to the new location with a larger area of more than 30 square metres.
The variety of cold drinks has increased from about 200 to about 400, and the storage space of the freezer has also increased.
Shanghai has been roasting in hot weather for more than 10 days. And the hotter the weather, the more customers would visit the store.
“When the temperature has been around 40 degrees Celsius for the past few days, there has been an endless stream of people in the store,” one resident said.
The store also provides ice cream for some companies to treat their employees, according to Zhao.
Jiang Xiaowei / brilliance
Ice cream boxes in cold storage.