Chicecream

Chicecream was the consumer-facing brand of Zhongxuegao Food (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a Chinese frozen-dessert company founded in Shanghai in 2018. The brand presented itself as a domestic premium ice cream maker at a time when high-end ice cream in China was commonly associated with foreign brands such as Häagen-Dazs and Magnum, while large Chinese dairy groups such as Mengniu and Yili were more strongly associated with mass-market products. Chicecream sought to occupy a luxury position built around distinctive flavor combinations, elaborate product naming, imported or premium ingredients, online distribution, and a visual identity inspired by Chinese architectural forms. The brand’s Chinese name, Zhongxuegao, combines the surnames Zhong, Xue, and Gao and also resembles the phrase for “Chinese ice cream.” Its ice cream bars were shaped like traditional Chinese roof tiles, with the top incorporating a form resembling the Chinese character 回. This design helped distinguish the products in e-commerce listings and social-media content. Chicecream was sometimes nicknamed the “Hermès of ice cream” because of its pricing and luxury-oriented presentation. Around 2021, many of its bars sold for approximately 13–18 RMB, substantially above the roughly 2–8 RMB range common for many other ice cream products in China. Its Ecuador Pink cocoa powder popsicle was reported to sell for 66 RMB. Founder and chief executive Lin Sheng, who had previously worked in advertising, attributed the pricing partly to the cost of imported ingredients, including yuzu and other specialty materials. Chicecream promoted its products as natural, relatively low in sugar and fat, and made with carefully selected ingredients. Its assortment included Ecuador Pink, Ghana Black Gold, Hand-crafted Jasmine, Aged Irish Cheese, Salted Coconut, Semi-opportunism, and Velvet Cocoa. The company also experimented with products made with bird’s nest through a collaboration with skincare company Xiaoxiandun, and expanded beyond ice cream into premium dumplings and cakes. The company introduced its first six products on 20 May 2018 and relied heavily on e-commerce rather than a broad network of conventional retail outlets. Internet celebrities and social-media recommendations were central to its growth. Food and shopping content helped the brand gain visibility, and blogger Li Jiaqi recommended Chicecream in 2020. The brand reportedly became one of the most-searched products on Xiaohongshu at one point. It also operated physical stores in cities including Shanghai, Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen, although online sales remained central to its business model. E-commerce data cited in reference material indicated particular appeal among consumers aged 26–37, especially women, followed by consumers aged 18–25. Chicecream’s growth was accompanied by regulatory and reputational challenges. In 2019, Shanghai regulators fined the company over deceptive advertising claims, including statements that its ice cream contained no water and used imported Japanese tea leaves when those claims were inaccurate. During the COVID-19 pandemic, shipping disruption affected the availability of its Aged Irish Cheese flavor because Irish cheese could not be imported for several months. The company nevertheless reported that increased online shopping supported sales during the period. In 2022, Chicecream faced intense online scrutiny after consumers circulated videos showing bars that softened and became sticky in heat without quickly turning into liquid. The company said that the behavior resulted from a high concentration of solids and comparatively little water, stated that its products complied with applicable standards, and agreed to cooperate with an investigation. The episode intensified public debate about premium pricing, additives, product composition, and food-safety communication in China’s packaged-dessert market. After a period of declining public confidence and business pressure, Zhongxuegao Food filed for bankruptcy at the Shanghai Yangpu District People’s Court on 6 June 2025. The filing marked the end of the company’s documented operating period as a prominent standalone premium ice cream brand, which ran from 2018 to 2025.

Chicecream was established in Shanghai on 14 March 2018 by Lin Sheng, an entrepreneur with an advertising background. The company entered a Chinese ice cream market in which foreign brands were widely perceived as premium, while domestic brands were more often associated with affordability and mass distribution. Its strategy was to create a high-end Chinese alternative rather than compete primarily on price. The first six products were introduced on 20 May 2018. Chicecream used premium-sounding flavors, distinctive packaging, roof-tile-shaped bars, and a top design resembling the Chinese character 回. The name Zhongxuegao functioned both as a group of surnames and as a near-homophone for “Chinese ice cream,” reinforcing the brand’s domestic-luxury identity. The company emphasized ingredients such as specialty teas, yuzu, cocoa, and aged Irish cheese, and described its products as natural and relatively low in sugar and fat. Unlike traditional ice cream businesses centered on supermarkets and convenience stores, Chicecream initially concentrated on e-commerce and social-media exposure. Internet celebrities and online recommendation culture were important to its distribution and awareness. Li Jiaqi recommended the brand in 2020, and Chicecream reportedly became one of the most-searched products on Xiaohongshu. The company later maintained physical stores in several Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen, but online commerce remained an important part of its model. Its principal audience was reported to consist of younger urban consumers, particularly women aged 26–37 and, secondarily, consumers aged 18–25. The brand’s premium strategy was reflected in its prices. In 2021, ordinary bars commonly sold for about 13–18 RMB, while the Ecuador Pink product was reported at 66 RMB. This contrasted with the much lower prices of many mainstream Chinese ice creams. Chicecream’s leadership linked the premium to imported materials and production costs, while the brand’s design, naming, and marketing presented the purchase as an experience associated with domestic luxury and conspicuous consumption. Its early expansion also brought problems. In 2019, Shanghai regulators fined Chicecream over deceptive advertising. The disputed marketing included inaccurate claims that the product contained no water and used imported Japanese tea leaves. During the COVID-19 pandemic, import and shipping restrictions interrupted supplies of Irish cheese, making the Aged Irish Cheese flavor unavailable for months. Brand manager Huang Ying also indicated that the wider shift toward online shopping helped offset some pandemic-related effects on demand. In May 2021, the company raised 200 million RMB in Series A financing. The following year brought the brand’s most visible reputational crisis. On 25 June 2022, a consumer reported that a bar left at approximately 31 degrees Celsius for 50 minutes had become thick and sticky without turning into a watery liquid. A later viral video showed a Salted Coconut bar apparently retaining its shape under extreme heat. Online discussion raised concerns about preservatives, coagulants, carrageenan, and general food safety. Chicecream responded that the physical behavior resulted from a high concentration of solid ingredients and a relatively small amount of water. It said that its products met relevant regulatory requirements, including the national standard GB/T 31119-2014 for frozen desserts, and offered to cooperate with an investigation. The company also argued that heating ice cream was not a scientifically reliable method for evaluating product quality. The episode nevertheless damaged the clarity of the brand’s health and naturalness messaging and intensified criticism of its high prices. The company subsequently entered bankruptcy proceedings. On 6 June 2025, Zhongxuegao Food (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. filed for bankruptcy at the Shanghai Yangpu District People’s Court. Chicecream is therefore documented as a defunct brand whose operating period ran from 2018 to 2025. Its history illustrates the opportunities and risks of building a premium domestic food brand through online celebrity marketing, distinctive cultural design, and luxury pricing.

• 2025

  Bankruptcy filing

  [1]Chicecreamen.wikipedia.org

  The company filed for bankruptcy at the Shanghai Yangpu District People’s Court on 6 June 2025.

• 2022

  Non-melting ice cream controversy

  [1]Chicecreamen.wikipedia.org

  Videos of products retaining their shape in heat led to widespread online debate about formulation and food safety.

• 2021

  Series A financing

  [1]Chicecreamen.wikipedia.org

  Chicecream reportedly raised 200 million RMB in Series A financing.

• 2020

  Online visibility increases

  [1]Chicecreamen.wikipedia.org

  Recommendation by internet personality Li Jiaqi helped increase the brand’s visibility during a period when online shopping was expanding.

• 2019

  Advertising penalty

  [1]Chicecreamen.wikipedia.org

  Shanghai regulators fined the company over inaccurate advertising claims concerning ingredients and product composition.

• 2018

  Company founded in Shanghai

  [1]Chicecreamen.wikipedia.org

  Zhongxuegao Food (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. was founded on 14 March 2018, with Lin Sheng as founder and chief executive.

• 2018

  First product range launched

  [1]Chicecreamen.wikipedia.org

  Chicecream introduced its first six ice cream products on 20 May 2018.

A Chinese premium and luxury-oriented ice cream brand combining distinctive flavors, architectural product design, imported ingredients, social-commerce distribution, and high price points.

• Premium ice cream bar

  Ecuador Pink

  A cocoa-oriented premium popsicle associated with Ecuadorian cocoa powder and one of Chicecream’s highest reported price points. It was reported to sell for 66 RMB, making it a prominent example of the brand’s luxury pricing strategy.

• Premium ice cream bar

  Ghana Black Gold

  A chocolate-focused bar named for Ghana and marketed as part of Chicecream’s high-end cocoa range. It formed part of the brand’s assortment of products built around origin-specific ingredients and luxury-style naming.

• Floral tea ice cream

  Hand-crafted Jasmine

  A jasmine-flavored frozen dessert reflecting Chicecream’s emphasis on tea and botanical flavor profiles. Tea-based products helped the brand combine familiar Chinese flavor references with premium presentation.

• Cheese ice cream

  Aged Irish Cheese

  An ice cream flavor made with aged Irish cheese. Import and shipping disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic caused the flavor to be unavailable for several months, illustrating the company’s reliance on imported specialty ingredients.

• Coconut ice cream bar

  Salted Coconut

  A salted coconut flavor that became particularly associated with the 2022 product-melting controversy after a video showed a bar retaining its form under high heat. The product’s physical behavior became a major subject of public discussion.

• Premium ice cream bar

  Semi-opportunism

  One of Chicecream’s named specialty bars. It belongs to the brand’s broader range of premium products distinguished by unusual naming, presentation, and flavor positioning rather than mass-market pricing.

• Cocoa ice cream bar

  Velvet Cocoa

  A cocoa-based premium bar within Chicecream’s chocolate and frozen-dessert assortment. It exemplified the brand’s use of refined flavor language and luxury-oriented visual merchandising.

• Functional-positioned frozen dessert

  Bird’s nest ice cream

  A collaborative product developed with skincare company Xiaoxiandun and made with bird’s nest. The product connected Chicecream’s premium dessert positioning with traditional beauty and wellness associations.

• 2022

  Non-melting ice cream controversy

  Consumers circulated videos showing Chicecream products becoming sticky or retaining their shape in high temperatures. Online commentators speculated about additives and safety, while the company attributed the behavior to high solids and low water content and said the products complied with national standards.

  Source

• 2019

  Deceptive advertising penalty

  Shanghai regulators fined Chicecream after advertisements made inaccurate claims, including that the ice cream contained no water and used imported Japanese tea leaves. The case challenged the credibility of the brand’s ingredient-focused premium marketing.

  Source

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• 2025

  Filed for bankruptcyOther

  Background

  After operating as a premium ice cream company from 2018, Zhongxuegao Food entered formal bankruptcy proceedings.

  Action taken

  The company filed for bankruptcy at the Shanghai Yangpu District People’s Court on 6 June 2025.

  Aftermath

  The filing established Chicecream as a defunct brand and ended its documented period as an operating company.

  Source

• 2018

  Adopted a domestic luxury ice cream strategyStrategy

  Background

  The company entered a market where foreign brands were commonly regarded as premium and domestic brands were more often associated with mass-market products.

  Action taken

  Chicecream used Chinese cultural naming and design, specialty ingredients, premium packaging, and high prices to position itself as a homegrown luxury alternative.

  Aftermath

  The approach created strong online visibility and differentiated the brand, but also exposed it to criticism over pricing and product claims.

  Source

• 2018

  Prioritized e-commerce and social influenceStrategy

  Background

  The company sought rapid awareness without relying primarily on a nationwide physical retail network.

  Action taken

  Chicecream focused on online sales, e-commerce presentation, and promotion by internet celebrities, while later adding stores in selected Chinese cities.

  Aftermath

  The model supported rapid awareness and benefited from the growth of online shopping, but made the brand highly dependent on social-media reputation.

  Source

1. 1Chicecreamen.wikipedia.org