Source | Innovation Retail Society When it comes to Chinese retail, Henan is an unavoidable province. On one hand, Henan has a huge population and a thick consumer market; on the other, consumption and urban structure show obvious multi-center and decentralized characteristics. Different cities have significant differences in consumption radius, business format mix, and demand focus, and retail competition mostly occurs within each city. In such a market environment, it is easier to form a group of regional chain supermarkets deeply rooted locally. They organize products around high-frequency household consumption, continuously invest in procurement, warehousing, distribution, and store operations, gradually establishing stable advantages in their respective cities. Pangdonglai in Xuchang, Dennis in Zhengzhou, Dazhang in Luoyang, Xiya and Hemei in Xinyang, Wandelong in Nanyang, and Wanguoyuan in Zhoukou are all representatives that have grown under this pattern, collectively forming the basic form of long-term competition in Henan supermarkets. Henan Supermarket Distribution Map and Core Players From the overall distribution, Henan supermarkets are not a centralized structure dominated by a single city, but a typical prefecture-level city-led centralized structure. In many core cities, a local supermarket often deeply cultivates and occupies a dominant position, forming a stable market structure.

  1. Pangdonglai Commercial Group Co., Ltd. Coverage: Xuchang, Henan (11 stores), Xinxiang (3 stores) Number of stores: 14 (5 comprehensive department stores + 7 medium-sized community supermarkets + 1 clothing and footwear specialty store + 1 comprehensive commercial Xinxiang "Sanpang" store) Core advantages: 2024 sales of 16.964 billion yuan, average store sales of 1.3 billion yuan (up 58.5% year-on-year); Provides "6A-level scenic area service" (including free housekeeping, pet boarding, etc.); 80% of fresh produce comes from farms in Xuchang and surrounding areas, cutting out three to four levels of middlemen through joint procurement, achieving "direct delivery from field to shelf in 3 hours", with product prices 20%-30% lower than market prices; Average monthly employee income of 9,000 yuan, far exceeding industry levels.
  2. Zhengzhou Dennis Group Co., Ltd. Coverage: 16 cities in Henan, with core layout in Zhengzhou Number of stores: approximately 290 (18 department stores + over 70 hypermarkets + over 200 convenience stores) Core advantages: Leading retail group in Henan, with 2023 sales exceeding 30 billion yuan; its David City single-store annual sales exceed 10 billion yuan; One of the Taiwan-invested department store retail pilots approved by the State Council, with business covering department stores, outlets, farmers' markets, logistics and distribution, with self-owned operating area of over 3 million square meters and over 70,000 employees.
  3. Henan Dazhang Industrial Co., Ltd. Coverage: Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Jiaozuo, Jiyuan, Sanmenxia in Henan, and Suzhou, Zhenjiang, Wuxi, Nanchang outside the province Number of stores: over 100 (approximately 40 comprehensive supermarkets + approximately 49 community supermarkets/fresh food stores + over 10 stores of other formats) Core advantages: Leading retail brand in western Henan, with over 60% market share in Luoyang, 2024 sales of 9.858 billion yuan; Has a logistics system accumulated over 30 years, achieving "direct supply from origin + fresh production and sales"; Cooperates with Meituan and JD Daojia for front warehouses, with "1-hour delivery" in core urban areas, fresh food loss rate controlled below 1.5%, and online sales in the first half of 2025 up 65% year-on-year.
  4. Xiya and Hemei Commercial Co., Ltd. Coverage: Xinyang, Zhumadian in Henan, Guangshui, Anlu in Hubei, Guangzhou and surrounding areas Number of stores: approximately 140-150 (21-24 large stores + 18-27 community chain stores + nearly 100 Guangzhou Xiya Xing'an stores) Core advantages: One of the "Four Heavenly Kings" of Henan supermarkets, with total store operating area exceeding 500,000 square meters, providing employment for nearly 20,000 people; has formed a solid competitive barrier in Xinyang and southern Henan.
  5. Nanyang Wandelong Trading Co., Ltd. Coverage: Nanyang central urban area, surrounding counties and some townships in Henan Number of stores: over 60 (approximately 20 comprehensive supermarkets + approximately 40 community life supermarkets) Core advantages: Over 50% market share in Nanyang, ranked 65th in the 2024 Henan Private Enterprise Top 100 list with revenue of 4.665 billion yuan; adopts a "offline stores + online mall" business model, and is the leading supermarket in southwestern Henan.
  6. Henan Wanguoyuan Industrial Group Co., Ltd. Coverage: Zhoukou central urban area, surrounding counties and some townships in Henan Number of stores: nearly 100 self-operated chain stores (mainly comprehensive supermarkets and community convenience stores) Core advantages: Main retail enterprise in Zhoukou and surrounding areas; has modern normal-temperature logistics center and fresh food logistics processing center, with 6 wholly-owned subsidiaries (covering business management, food production, etc.).
  7. Henan Yulong Times Department Store Co., Ltd. Coverage: Hebi, Anyang in Henan Number of stores: approximately 247-254 (11-18 shopping centers and supermarkets + 236 rural standard supermarkets) Core advantages: Retail enterprise in northern Henan, with business formats covering department stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores, with a stable market position in Hebi and Anyang.
  8. Henan Xingfu Wanjia Trading Co., Ltd. Coverage: Huaiyang and surrounding areas in Zhoukou, Henan Number of stores: 11 (3 department stores, 8 comprehensive stores) Core advantages: Chain brand in eastern Henan, with operating area of nearly 150,000 square meters, 3,000 employees, and annual sales of nearly 1.2 billion yuan; adopts a one-stop shopping center model of "large supermarket + popular department store + supporting services".
  9. Henan Huayu Baijia Supermarket (Huayu Baijia) Coverage: Zhengzhou, Henan, with provincial layout starting in 2025 Number of stores: 23 (approximately 8 shopping center-type stores + approximately 15 community fresh food supermarkets) Core advantages: "Dark horse" of Henan supermarkets, started from community supermarkets in Zhengzhou in 2008, with double-digit revenue growth for many consecutive years; Adopts IP image flagship store model (such as Park Mao store with fashion department store + boutique supermarket), with single store gathering 12,000+ selected SKUs, creating a "quality life + social" composite space.
  10. Xianfeng Life (Henan Xianfeng Commercial Chain) Coverage: Kaifeng, Zhengzhou in Henan (such as Xidigang store) Number of stores: 15-16 (approximately 10 boutique fresh food supermarkets + approximately 6 community life supermarkets) Core advantages: Representative of new retail format (restaurant-supermarket integration), Zhengzhou Xidigang store (less than 3,000 m2) achieved annual revenue exceeding 100 million yuan in the first year, and subsequent single-store annual sales exceeded 200 million yuan; Store sets 1,500 square meters as dine-in area, attracting customers with freshly baked bread and freshly cooked seafood, with average daily customer traffic exceeding 5,000 person-times; Builds a "warehousing and logistics - central factory - omni-channel" supply chain, with fresh food reaching shelves within 24 hours from origin, and central factory can flexibly adjust production plans.
  11. Henan Zhengdao Sida Chain Commercial Co., Ltd. Coverage: Multiple areas in Zhengzhou, Henan Number of stores: 50-60 (including supermarkets and convenience stores) Core advantages: Old local chain retail enterprise in Zhengzhou, with business covering supermarket chains, convenience stores, and multi-category sales, covering multiple areas of Zhengzhou, and is one of the main local livelihood retail players.
  12. Henan Jinhaolai Commercial Service Co., Ltd. Coverage: Gongyi, Zhengzhou in Henan Number of stores: 18 (6 shopping plazas/hypermarkets + 12 standard supermarkets/convenience stores) Core advantages: Retail enterprise in Gongyi area, with its "Xiansheng" brand positioned as community fresh food, and has won industry honors; business includes commercial management services, and is a local life service provider. Why Is It Difficult for Henan to Produce a "Province-wide Supermarket Giant"? After reviewing these enterprises, a common point emerges: in many core cities, a local supermarket often occupies a dominant position, with multiple points standing side by side rather than a province-wide integration. The question follows: Why has this pattern been established in Henan for a long time? Looking further, the key can be explained from three levels: market structure, first-mover accumulation, and entry barriers.
  13. Dispersed population and urban structure determine that "prefecture-level city-led" is more likely to be established Henan has a large population, but consumption is not completely absorbed by a single city. Although Zhengzhou is the provincial capital, its concentration effect on provincial consumption is limited, and many prefecture-level cities still rely mainly on local consumption. Different cities have significant differences in income levels, consumption habits, and price sensitivity, and the market shows typical multi-center characteristics. Under such a structure, national chains that rely on unified site selection models and standardized store replication do not have natural advantages. Instead, local supermarkets are more likely to adjust to the actual consumption situation of a single city, aligning with local needs in site selection, category structure, and price range, thereby establishing higher penetration and awareness within a single market. The result is not who covers more widely, but who stands more firmly in a city. This is also an important reason why Henan supermarkets have long shown a pattern of prefecture-level dispersion and each acting as its own master.
  14. Local supermarkets started early and have deep cultivation, with deeper moats Compared with national chains, Henan local supermarkets entered the market earlier and have been operating in many cities for 20-30 years. This "early start" is not just a historical label, but brings real results of long-term accumulation. On one hand, high-quality commercial property resources were occupied early, and the cost for later entrants to obtain equivalent conditions in core locations is significantly higher; On the other hand, long-term operation also makes local supermarkets more aligned with the real needs of local families in terms of product structure, price band control, and daily operation rhythm. This accumulation cannot be made up by short-term investment. Even if foreign brands enter, they often need more time to adapt to the local market, while local supermarkets have already established a stable user base and competitive position in their respective cities.
  15. High fixed investment and high adjustment costs make it harder to break the regional pattern Supermarkets are not a business format that can be tried at low cost. Whether it is hypermarkets, comprehensive supermarkets, or regional chains, their competition is based on high fixed investment, including long-term leases, store renovations, warehousing and distribution systems, and staffing. In Henan's market structure centered on prefecture-level cities, once local supermarkets take the lead in laying out core business districts and key communities, later entrants often need to pay higher costs to enter the same market. High-quality commercial properties are scarce, and the rent and renovation costs for alternative sites rise significantly, making it significantly more difficult to replicate the store model under the same conditions. At the same time, supermarket operations have obvious path dependence. Once a store forms stable customer flow and consumption habits, the cost of adjusting the format or relocating is high, and the market pattern is more likely to continue on the existing structure. Local supermarkets are not because their capabilities are naturally stronger, but because they occupy key resources and operating positions earlier, thereby raising the competitive threshold structurally. The Ultimate Answer for Henan Supermarkets: Not to Be Big, but to Be Stable The value of Henan supermarkets does not lie in whether a nationally largest enterprise emerges, but in the maturity and stability shown by regional retail. After systematically reviewing the information of Henan regional supermarkets, the author summarized three characteristics:

It's not who does the biggest, but who stands the most stable;

It's not who spreads faster, but who digs deeper;

Competition does not depend on short-term prices, but is determined by long-term investment. The formation of this pattern is closely related to Henan's population and urban structure, the first-mover accumulation of local supermarkets, and the high fixed investment characteristics of the supermarket format itself. Different types of enterprises continuously strengthen their existing positions in their respective regions, making market competition more inclined toward steady-state evolution. From Pangdonglai's ultimate service practice, to Dennis's provincial platform system, to a number of emerging brands' continuous exploration in products and formats, Henan has formed a set of regional supermarket models with clear structure, self-consistent logic, and long-term stability. This is also an important reason why our "China Regional Supermarket Inventory Atlas" chose to start from Henan.