Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Another hot summer is here, and it's time to enjoy frozen treats again! However, compared to the past, the freezers in China's stores seem to be filled with more overpriced frozen desserts. A lot of ice cream producers blame higher prices on the rising cost of raw materials. But the truth is, many of these pricey ice creams are made to appeal to their main consumers, young people, through marketing gimmicks, including collaboration with brands and the entertainment industry. This is because China's Generation Z tends to follow trends and try out new things while not caring so much about prices. Even though this might be an easy way for ice cream producers to make some quick cash, experts have warned this can't be a long-term sales strategy since young people can be pretty fickle, and affordable ice cream without any extra is really what most people want.