Xiaomi’s cafeteria rolls out “Xiaomi” ice cream in three trims — and yes, it follows car-style names

Product launch

Xiaomi (小米) quietly debuted a new in-house snack at its 2026 Values Conference: a branded “Xiaomi” ice cream. It has been reported that a Redmi product manager using the handle 笋寸 posted photos showing the ice cream sold in three trims — Standard, Pro and Max — priced at 5.99, 6.99 and 8.99 yuan respectively. The Pro and Max editions reportedly include extra “values” biscuits as a playful garnish; the Standard comes with a single stick.

Company background and sales limits

Xiaomi’s cafeteria has been run in-house since 2015, with cooks and servers employed directly by the company and covered by Xiaomi’s full employee benefits, the report notes. Fans have long sought to buy the canteen’s hits externally — one popular suggestion was to list the mahua snack on Xiaomi’s online store — but CEO Lei Jun (雷军) previously said the company lacks a food sales license, so external retail is off the table for now.

Why this matters

Why is a smartphone-and-ecosystem giant selling ice cream? It’s emblematic of a broader trend in China: tech firms extending consumer-facing lifestyle touches to reinforce brand affinity and morale. Some moves are earnest; some are marketing flourishes. And there’s a regulatory subtext — after years of tightened oversight over China’s tech sector, many companies are experimenting with lower‑risk, high-visibility consumer offerings rather than big, capital‑intensive pivots. It has been reported that employees and fans treat canteen products as cult items; will that translate into a marketable product once licensing and regulation allow? Only time will tell.