Localized verification of the "Post-View-Purchase-Post" consumption loop: how Xiaohongshus Pretty Food Cycle reshapes food consumption behavior in Guangzhoubased on the co-constructive logic between Cantonese culinary genes and digital consumer power

This study focuses on the localized practice of the "Post-View-Purchase-Post" consumption loop (also referred to as the Pretty Food Cycle) driven by the Xiaohongshu platform within the context of Guangzhou's food consumption. By deconstructing the loops operational dynamics across three dimensionspower agents, behavioral logic, and spatial orderempirical analysis reveals a structural conflict between the standardized digital loop logic (visual-first and fast-paced) and the genetic traits of Cantonese food culture (wok hei authenticity and slow-paced social dining). On the one hand, the loop mechanism reshapes culinary authority through a value definition model led by KOLs/KOCs (Key Opinion Leaders/Consumers) and collectively scored by users. On the other hand, it encounters strong resistance and revision from local cultural genes. For instance, the cultural reverence for wok hei leads to collective downrating of photogenic dishes that lack authentic cooking essence, while pragmatic consumerism gives rise to phenomena such as the popularity of the 8-yuan pork knuckle rice, which deconstructs the aesthetic elitism of food presentation. This research reveals the dual effects of the loop mechanism in both adapting to and dissolving regional cultural symbols (such as "yt jng luhng gin", i.e., a pot of tea and two dim sum pieces). It also develops a Cultural Discount Rate evaluation model to assess cultural risks (mild symbolization 20%, moderate authenticity loss 2050%, severe alienation 50%). Furthermore, it proposes three principles for building a sustainable consumption loop: authenticity anchoring, intergenerational permeability, and algorithmic fairness. The study argues that the Pretty Food Cycle essentially functions as a tool of digital colonization. Ignoring the cultural discount effect may lead to a spatial restructuring characterized by digital eateries displacing wok hei small shopsas seen in the wave of dessert shop closures on Baohua Road. However, through the assertion of user rating rights (e.g., the 4.8 score comeback of Ma Ji Store), consumers demonstrate the counter-disciplinary potential of digital civic sovereignty against platform hegemony.