--- title: "\"Mom-and-Pop Stores\" vs. Convenience Stores: The Result Is Surprisingly Unexpected..." description: "The internet has provided convenience stores and supermarkets with a platform for profit, enabling fast payment and delivery while eliminating many hassles. But store owners shouldn't worry too much—residents living nearby are your most stable customer base! Convenience stores can't beat your mom-and-pop stores." author: "New Distribution" publisher: "New Distribution" email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com" telephone: "+8615854817671" published: "2017-08-25" language: "en" canonical: "https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/mom-and-pop-stores-vs-convenience-stores-the-result-is-surprisingly-unex-46cf6539/" markdown: "https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/mom-and-pop-stores-vs-convenience-stores-the-result-is-surprisingly-unex-46cf6539.md" original_source: "https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/bqays9GLZljDnd1TTD0-Pg" translation: "https://xinjignxiao.com/zh/articles/%E5%A4%AB%E5%A6%BB%E5%BA%97-pk%E4%BE%BF%E5%88%A9%E5%BA%97-%E7%BB%93%E6%9E%9C%E7%AB%9F%E5%87%BA%E4%BA%BA%E6%84%8F%E6%96%99-46cf6539.md" attribution: "New Distribution — https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/mom-and-pop-stores-vs-convenience-stores-the-result-is-surprisingly-unex-46cf6539/" usage_policy: "https://xinjignxiao.com/ai-policy.txt" --- # "Mom-and-Pop Stores" vs. Convenience Stores: The Result Is Surprisingly Unexpected... > The internet has provided convenience stores and supermarkets with a platform for profit, enabling fast payment and delivery while eliminating many hassles. But store owners shouldn't worry too much—residents living nearby are your most stable customer base! Convenience stores can't beat your mom-and-pop stores. Click the image for details. The internet has provided convenience stores and supermarkets with a platform for profit, enabling fast payment and delivery while eliminating many hassles. But store owners, don't worry too much—**residents living nearby** are your most stable customer base! Convenience stores can't beat your mom-and-pop stores~ Mom-and-Pop Stores vs. Convenience Stores 1 Regional Presence Last year, the number of chain-brand cosmetics convenience stores in China approached 100,000, with sales exceeding 130 billion yuan. However, these chain brands have **obvious regional characteristics** and lack a nationwide layout. In contrast, your mom-and-pop stores can **penetrate into various residential communities**, providing doorstep service and **enjoying more advantageous geographic locations**. 2 Costs and Profits Last year, the average daily sales of convenience stores in China were only 3,714 yuan, a mere 4% increase from the previous year. Such sales revenue **can hardly support the rent and the high labor costs of 24-hour operations**. In comparison, the costs for mom-and-pop stores are much lower. The store operates with just a husband-and-wife team, and due to **low labor expenses**, costs are minimal, and they earn more than convenience stores! 3 Distribution in Second- and Third-Tier Cities Convenience stores are not widely distributed in China; only 4 cities have one convenience store per 3,000 people. Meanwhile, **there are 7 million mom-and-pop shops in China**, 70 times the number of convenience stores. Whether in communities or villages, **most of what you see are these mom-and-pop stores**, sustaining the daily lives of nearby residents. Residents in second- and third-tier cities are not heavily influenced by e-commerce when shopping; it's mostly your mom-and-pop stores that serve their daily needs. 4 Service to Residents The relationship between convenience stores and customers is purely transactional, offering products and faster payment methods, but **lacking interpersonal communication**. In contrast, mom-and-pop stores in communities **often build closer relationships with people**. Long-time residents in the community drop by to chat a bit. The owner and his wife always stock the snacks and drinks you love. They accept package deliveries on your behalf, and occasionally let you run a tab if you forget your phone or wallet. At such times, mom-and-pop stores are more down-to-earth and **better at winning people's hearts**. 5 Location Issues Many convenience stores adopt overseas site-selection models, locating at **intersections and high-traffic areas**. Such locations not only come with **high rents** but also **make community residents keep their distance**. In China, residential compounds have walls. Going around the wall to buy a bottle of water is not as convenient as **going to the mom-and-pop store downstairs**! Just tell the owner's wife what you need, and she'll point it out immediately. Items not in stock are noted, and you'll be notified when they arrive. Both personal touch and convenience are covered~ 6 Mass Appeal and All-Day Consumption Convenience stores are **positioned away from community residents**, leading to long queues during morning and evening rush hours and lunchtime, when passersby and office workers buy water and lunch, but at other times they are empty, **failing to profit all day**. Meanwhile, the mom-and-pop shops and tobacco and liquor stores downstairs are **near the community**. When residents need a drink, alcohol, cigarettes, or daily necessities, they can just go downstairs to buy them, greatly facilitating their lives. **They can sell all day** without obvious peak hours. A convenience store with warmth is a successful one; clearly, that hasn't been achieved yet. So, it's you mom-and-pop store owners who bring a human touch. Consider what the residents near your store need, build good relationships with them, and your business will surely thrive! **Source: China Youth Net** **The 3rd (CFIC) China FMCG + Internet Conference** will be held in Chongqing in October 2017. At this conference, New Distribution has invited **1,000+ distributors, 500+ brand owners, founders of 200+ B2B platforms, and 100+ investment and financing institutions** to participate. The theme of this conference: **New Forces, New Ecosystem**. We will invite renowned domestic B2B industry experts, mentors, and B2B platform founders to discuss the following topics: > **********How the FMCG industry can leverage B2B to achieve new growth opportunities** > > > > > **********How to build the new supply chain behind new retail** > > > > > **********How intra-city logistics can help B2B achieve leapfrog development** **Highlights of this conference:** > **The industry's first "2017 China FMCG B2B Industry Competitiveness White Paper"** > > > > > **Closed-door matchmaking meeting between B2B and investors** > > > > > **********Conference site + exhibition center, dual internet technology exhibition** > > > > > **********Leaders from Alibaba, Eternal Asia, Best Store Plus, GLP, Unilever, Hd, Yunmei Shares, and other well-known enterprises in various fields will deliver speeches and share pioneering views.** October 17-18, 2017 Chongqing Convention and Exhibition Center Registration is now open. Long-press the QR code below or click "Read Original" to register. Early bird tickets before September 15 enjoy a 30% discount! Add friend with note "Conference Registration" Click the links below to review the highlights of the 1st and 2nd FMCG + Internet Conferences: [2016 "FMCG + Internet" Summit Forum]() -END- --- ## Copyright and AI use This article is sourced from New Distribution. Search, quotation, summarization, and model training are permitted, but every use must credit New Distribution and retain the canonical source URL. Contact: zhaobo258@gmail.com · +86 158 5481 7671