Lin Qing, who has worked in Shenzhen for four years, first tasted Sam's Club roast chicken at a friend's home in her hometown county. Her friend was surprised that Lin, having lived in a first-tier city for years, had never been to Sam's Club. Lin was amazed that her friend, with a monthly income of 3,500 yuan, had a fridge that looked like that of a middle-class family in a first-tier city. Consumers in first-tier cities will queue up for long periods for popular products at Sam's Club, but similarly, buying a Sam's Club roast chicken in a county town is not easy either. As the chicken was taken out of the fridge to thaw, Lin learned from her friend that she had started reserving a week in advance to try it, paying 58 yuan for the original 39.8 yuan chicken through a reseller. "This reseller sells it cheaper, and for orders over 300 yuan, they throw in six mochi balls. The downside is that you have to pick up the goods at a highway toll station. Previously, the reseller only sold the chicken in portions." Scanning for popular items is a daily routine for Sam's Club resellers (image source: internet) When the chicken was reheated, her friend thought it tasted just okay. She wasn't sure if it was because they couldn't eat it fresh at Sam's Club or because she had built up too high expectations. After the first round of tasting, her friend asked Lin if she wanted to try Sam's Club's cheese beef rolls or Hema's seafood platter next, as both were in the freezer.**** Young People in County Towns Spend Half Their Monthly Salary on Trendy Snacks Among young people in county towns, there are always channels to get "good stuff." Resellers are like bounty hunters in county towns. Just pay the corresponding delivery fee, and the "Sam's Club Internet-Famous Food Must-Eat List" or "Top 5 Popular Desserts in Shanghai" that you saw on your phone the day before can quickly appear on the dining tables of county town youth. Whether it's Sam's Club, Costco, or Hema, or Luxihe (which always has long lines), there are always corresponding channels that flow to county towns. Resellers will take photos of their trunks filled with Swiss rolls and mochi, and after getting off the highway, they'll send a photo to regular customers with the message: "Goods are here, come quickly." In these areas where Sam's Club hasn't opened, they actually have the most loyal consumers. These young people, who live in third- and fourth-tier cities, don't mind the complicated ordering process or the significant markup on each item. Even if many products don't match expectations, no one can escape the temptation of "trying something new" and "checking in." Meat products, after being frozen and thawed, often disappoint to some extent Lin Qing has worked in Shenzhen for years but never bought any semi-finished products or desserts from Sam's Club. For a single worker drifting in a first-tier city, she never dared to buy large portions. The warehouse-style supermarket, which sells on the point of "cheap and large quantity," has repeatedly kept her out. Back in her hometown county, she felt she finally had the "freedom to buy from Sam's Club." After being pulled into a "trendy snack reseller group" with over 200 people by her friend, she realized that young people in county towns have to go through so many steps to try new things. Resold desserts are the easiest entry-level choice, as all classic desserts from Sam's Club's must-eat list can be bought in portions in the group. After joining the group, the first step is to order using a very fixed text template: item + address + name, and pay a deposit. Each item is limited in quantity, and those who pay the deposit first get it first. Lin Qing quickly found this to be an addictive way to shop. Once sales start, there's no time to think; you just want to grab the items you've set your eyes on quickly. Before she knew it, she had paid nearly 200 yuan in deposits. At the pickup point, after checking the goods and paying the balance, Lin Qing realized she had unknowingly spent 700 yuan. She was a bit shocked at the total, but then heard the buyer behind her pay 2,800 yuan at once. The reseller saw her as a potential new customer and secretly told her that many local snack shops also buy from her, getting goods at wholesale prices and then splitting them up to sell at retail with a markup. She said Lin could just buy from her in the future, as she was the source, and there would be gifts for large orders. Popular products are limited; first come, first served, so you have to be quick Limited-edition new products, meat items, and pre-made dishes are in high demand in third- and fourth-tier cities. The long-distance transport of several hundred kilometers means that many cooked foods have to be frozen immediately after being made, so roast chicken and beef rolls often look unappetizing by the time they arrive. Her friend told Lin that even with such products, sometimes you have to "buy with conditions" to get them. "They never say it outright, but you can tell from the response time. They'll ask if you only want this item. If you say yes, they'll take a long time to reply, saying it's a limited item and you might not be able to get it." There are unwritten rules between resellers and customers. At this point, cost-effectiveness doesn't matter much. Cakes become four-piece or six-piece sets, and eel and lamb chops can be bought in portions from the corresponding channels. The average price of a pineapple bun sold separately is marked up by 5 yuan. The internet brings information equality between cities, and through the efforts of resellers, it lands in county towns. Young people here have more choices, and the resellers' piggy banks start to grow. Some resellers charge a few yuan for packaging when selling in portions After tasting, Lin didn't think it was worth it and wouldn't buy again. Some items were even worse than local bakeries at the same price. Her friend admitted that she knew it wasn't worth it, but living in a county town all year round, this is one of the few ways to get instant happiness, even if it costs half her salary each month.**** Sam's Club Resellers: The Tongue Ferrymen in County Towns In Lin Qing's hometown county, there are over a dozen Sam's Club resellers active in each area. They have their own stable customers in the city, and with customer groups of over 100 people, they don't lack business. Her friend told Lin that she had been blacklisted by two resellers for not ordering according to the group announcement format. "Some resellers are very strict. They blacklist anyone who doesn't follow their rules, and later post on Moments saying they don't make much money in this business, and that picky customers should stay away. Many customers don't complain because their new goods do arrive faster than others." Resellers with bad attitudes are exceptions, but whether being a Sam's Club reseller is profitable is a question worth exploring. They travel between cities, each team holding at least five Sam's Club membership cards. They go in during peak hours to stock up, calculate tolls and gas costs, and then sell to customers. They put time, energy, and physical effort into the complex process, earning hard-earned money. Not being afraid of trouble and accumulating small amounts are the ultimate reasons why trendy snack resellers make money. "You can eat Sam's Club without a membership card" is a common sales pitch (image source: internet) Not being afraid of hard work is the foundation, but not everyone who can endure hardship can get a share of this business. There are countless new resellers trying to run a small business. Their car trunks are their startup scale. They spend the day on the road and set up stalls at night in the trunk night market to sell portions. After a busy week, they find that income and expenses don't balance out, and after deducting necessary expenses, they only make a few dozen yuan a week. Supply sources and customers are the two most important pillars for county town Sam's Club resellers. In Lin Qing's county, the nearest Sam's Club store is several hundred kilometers away, making self-purchasing increasingly difficult. Membership card points, discounts, and rebates are basically ineffective here, and many resellers don't even need a Sam's Club membership card to do business. A familiar reseller told her that although there are many customers ordering, the income from individual customers isn't enough to cover the round-trip gas and tolls for several hundred kilometers. Many small and medium resellers in county towns also get their goods from larger resellers. It is said that many Sam's Club stores regularly place special orders for these large resellers, and at fixed times, goods are transferred directly from the warehouse to their cold-chain trucks. Some county resellers who are farther away will wait for the cold-chain trucks in nearby cities on a regular basis. "Each city has a different operation model. Resellers in cities closer to the store naturally find it more convenient to buy directly, as it's just a one- or two-hour drive. For us, it's far, and driving to pick up from the big reseller takes more than two hours. Because it's troublesome, the markup is relatively higher." Large resellers sell to county resellers at a markup of 1-2 yuan per item. The county resellers then bring the perishable goods back to the county and deliver them overnight, acting as the tongue ferrymen for young people, charging a delivery fee of 6-12 yuan. New goods arrive every three days. Based on the group order data, an average of about 20 transactions occur per day in one reseller group. Living far from a Sam's Club store means a high chance of food past its best taste period Large resellers' goods flow into county towns, with some going to small resellers and the rest into local snack shops. Nearby residents are the main offline consumers. Sam's Club portions have made these shops very profitable. A cake originally priced at 88 yuan is bought for 90-92 yuan, then divided into four portions, each sold for 35 yuan. The community group-buying groups left over from the pandemic have become new customer groups. When they post food inventory at noon, it's all sold out by evening. Residents don't see the original box or label, and the gap between the dessert and the box in the portions is their profit margin. But in reality, young people in county towns who choose to buy trendy foods like Sam's Club rarely worry about how much the resellers make in the middle. They believe that as long as they eat it, it's not a loss. Their consumption concept has long been unique. Sam's Club: The Consumerism Trap for County Town Youth It's not hard to see that young people currently staying in county towns are living a life with a very high Engel coefficient. Lin Qing's friend has only had one raise in three years of work, from 3,200 to 3,500 yuan, which is barely noticeable. Life has no big pressure, but money never accumulates. In a place with few entertainment options, buying a pair of Nikes can get you a comment from your direct supervisor like "Young people nowadays really dare to spend money." Eating well has become an important comfort in life. If we calculate strictly by the Engel coefficient, the less income, the higher the proportion of food expenditure, and the poorer you are. Then many of Lin Qing's friends are in a "poverty" state for most of the year. They will prove that you should never underestimate the consumption power of the lower-tier market. Young people here always have their own consumption logic. "Why only allow members in?" looks a bit absurd in this context Sam's Club's popularity in small towns is thanks to the development of the internet. Young people in small towns know everything happening in the world from home and also see desserts from membership-only supermarkets hundreds of miles away. The actual distance between the virtual and the real has become a business opportunity for county town Sam's Club resellers. Young people in first-tier cities pursue novelty and niche experiences. They might choose a small coffee shop that seats fewer than ten people and spend a lot on hand-brewed coffee with long names and exquisite French desserts. Sam's Club's factory-made Swiss rolls aren't very attractive among the many choices. Young people in county towns, on the other hand, have become Sam's Club fans. With the popular mentality of "if they eat it, I want to eat it too," they support the reseller industry chain in cities. They don't need to care much about cost-effectiveness. Living here, with a house and a car, and receiving subsidies from their parents, all their income is disposable. Lin Qing's friend mentioned that after seeing Sam's Club launch a new product, the Magnum roll, online, she successfully ordered it from a reseller the next day. New products are always in short supply, so on top of the already marked-up portion, she paid an extra 5 yuan. She took it home, plated it, took photos, and posted on Moments, living a middle-class life in a county town. "I wouldn't say I was the first in the city to eat a Magnum roll, but at least I was the first to post it on my Moments." A post on Moments in a close-knit county town society has a spreading effect that many don't expect. Many friends and colleagues asked to be added to the Sam's Club reseller group. Sharing Sam's Club reseller group chats has become a form of social currency among county town youth Everything brought by resellers from afar is, in essence, unnecessary consumption. But for young people constrained by county town life, any consumption that adds richness to life is necessary. Lin Qing returned from Shenzhen to her hometown and gradually understood why people around her willingly step into the consumption trap. This small town, which they can't change and can't leave, has little to offer young people. There are only a few coffee shops to go to, the same restaurants they've eaten at since childhood, and the city park planting 100 more tulips in summer is enough to make the whole town go out on the weekend. A few unfinished villas on the outskirts have become internet-famous check-in spots. At the same time, through the phone screen, they can see all the fresh and exciting things in the outside world. Life is complex, and only those in it know the downsides of a stable life. But since people can't leave, they can bring in the popular things from outside. The desserts and pre-made dishes from Sam's Club resellers don't seem as tasty as they look in videos, and Hema, Costco, and Luxihe aren't as amazing as imagined either. Young people in small towns who are keen on internet-famous food check-ins know to prepare for disappointment and lower their expectations. There's always a gap between ideals and reality, but that doesn't stop them from buying the next new thing. They complete the resellers, and they benefit from them. At least at the moment they get the goods and press the shutter button, their hearts are full.**** The Harvesters of the Lower-Tier Market Sam's Club has always been called the "middle-class harvester" of first- and second-tier cities, with a consumption positioning of "prepare at least 1,000 yuan before entering Sam's Club." As the lower-tier market begins to develop vigorously, young people in third- and fourth-tier cities and county towns are showing strong consumption power. They also need to live the life of urban middle class. Resellers have found a business opportunity in the asymmetry of urban development, satisfying psychological needs and promoting the most direct supply and demand. From all aspects, the consumption power of lower-tier market users is keeping pace with first-tier city consumers. Sam's Club, which sells on the points of "family size," "large quantity," and "warehouse style," is precisely meeting the needs of county town market consumers. Given the strong development trend of Sam's Club resellers entering county towns, how far is the "middle-class harvester" from entering the lower-tier market? All names in this article are pseudonyms.