The community fresh milk bar has experienced rapid growth over the past few years. The store scales of regional brands such as Deyi Dairy, Xinxiwang · Fresh Life, and Wen Shi have continued to expand, and various franchise brands are also accelerating their expansion into lower-tier areas. According to industry estimates, the number of fresh milk bar stores across the country has exceeded 30,000, and the market is still growing.

With more stores, competition is also intensifying. Location selection, milk sources, and operational efficiency all directly affect the profit of each store. At the operational level, although the cost of consumables is not large each time, it accumulates over time and becomes an expenditure that needs attention. 

Most Widely used solution: 10L sterile bag + mouth cover with tuck tube

The fresh milk industry currently commonly adopts 10L sterile bags combined with mouth covers with tuck tubes to connect with the milk pumping machine for milk delivery. This solution has been in use for many years, with good equipment compatibility and a mature supply chain.

Its cost structure is: one 10L sterile bag plus a mouth cover with tuck tube, the entire set costs approximately  6.5 yuan . Every time a bag is sold, the tuck tube is discarded along with the bag. 

Another option: 10L sterile bag + needle hole cover + reusable needle

Qichen Packaging offers an alternative: change the mouth cover of the 10L sterile bag from a tuck tube type to a needle type.

Specifically:

•  10L sterile bag (with needle mouth cover): approximately 3.5 yuan per bag.  The bag is pre-equipped with a needle mouth cover. When milking, insert the needle and milk can be obtained.

•  Needle: approximately 0.8 yuan per piece.  It serves as the bridge connecting the sterile bag and the milking machine. With normal use and regular disinfection, it can be reused.

Thus, the cost comparison of the two options is as follows:

Traditional option: 10L sterile bag + mouth cover with tuck tube     ~6.5 yuan per set (one-time use)

Qichen option: 10L sterile bag (needle mouth cover) + reusable needle ~3.5 yuan per bag + 0.8 yuan per needle ÷ number of reuses

The price difference per bag is around  3 yuan . 

What is the magnitude of this difference in actual operation?

Based on industry conditions, the daily milk output of an ordinary community fresh milk bar is approximately 3 to 8 bags (10L size, approximately 30 to 80 liters), depending on the store location and customer flow.

Assuming a daily average of 5 bags:

• Traditional solution: 6.5 × 5 × 30 = 975 yuan/month

• Qichen solution: 3.5 × 5 × 30 = 525 yuan/month (plus initial investment for the needle)

• The difference is approximately 450 yuan/month, or about 5,400 yuan per year

If it is a chain brand with 50 stores:

• Annual consumables difference: 5,400 × 50 = approximately 2.7 million yuan/year

For a single store, this saving amount is not significant; but for a brand with multiple stores operating, it will accumulate into a considerable figure.

Besides costs, there are several practical differences:

Food hygiene:   The retraction tube is long and thin, and milk residue is difficult to thoroughly clean after it occurs. The needle surface is smooth and has a simple structure, which supports CIP cleaning or disassembly for boiling disinfection. The disinfection process is easier to standardize.

Waste disposal:  Each retraction tube is one per bag, and over time, the waste is considerable. In the needle solution, the needle can be reused, and the bag body is of a single material structure, making recycling and handling more convenient.

Procurement management:  After unifying the interface specification of the needle, only one specification of bags and needles need to be purchased, reducing the number of SKUs and simplifying procurement and inventory management. 

Applicable scenarios

This solution is mainly targeted at the fresh milk bar business model that uses 10L sterile bags in conjunction with milk dispensers to extract milk, including:

• Community fresh milk stations / milk kiosks

• Chain fresh milk bar brands

• Fresh milk selling points in office buildings, campuses, etc.

• Consumables for milk dispensers for equipment manufacturers 

Additional remark

Qichen Packaging produces two types of caps simultaneously - caps with a pumping tube and needle caps. We can supply both options, and the choice depends on the specific needs and habits of the store.

The monthly savings of the needle cap solution at the single-store level is not significant. Its value lies more in:

• The scale effect of multiple stores' brands

• The standardization and convenience of hygiene and disinfection procedures

• Waste reduction

If your store has a relatively low daily milk output or is more accustomed to the mature and matured supporting system of the pumping tube solution, maintaining the current situation is also a reasonable choice.

 

About Qichen Packaging

Qichen Packaging builds upon the 20+ years of experience accumulated by Qinon Packaging in the research and production of liquid flexible packaging materials, customized packaging solutions, and related products and equipment. It is committed to injecting new creativity into the liquid flexible packaging industry through in-depth services and innovative research and development. By means of product innovation and complete solutions for specific markets, it aims to help more customers reduce costs and increase efficiency, explore new value in mature markets, and jointly explore new application areas of liquid flexible packaging.