To gauge the strength of a consumer sector, look at the scalpers trailing behind it. Change is evident: this year, electronics led by the iPhone have been abandoned by scalpers, shedding tears of the era, but the business hasn't disappeared—instead, it's shifted to supermarkets like Sam's Club and Pangdonglai, where a bigger business is emerging. Days ago, Pangdonglai announced that starting December 7, it would limit purchases of certain items in its Xuchang and Xinxiang stores and require membership at checkout. This move is precisely to counter the rampant scalping and daigou business. Today, Pangdonglai has become a symbol on the internet, and since it remains confined to Henan, supply and demand have naturally arisen. Another membership-based supermarket giant, Sam's Club, is equally concerned. Recently, netizens reported scalpers outside the Shaoxing store in Zhejiang, offering entry and checkout services for non-members. Scalpers flocking to supermarket daigou is extremely rare, but now, as supermarket giants surge, both opportunities and crises have quietly arrived.
Sam's 'Daigou Economics' Sam's Club is most famous for its huge sign at the entrance reading 'Members Only,' drawing a clear line between the middle class and others. This gap separates non-members, but it also secretly creates a niche for scalpers. If you're interested in Sam's, you'll find that daigou has become a massive business with clear networks and branches. On social media like Xiaohongshu, young people have turned Sam's daigou into an art form—posting to attract customers and manual hauling are just the basics. For those who want to visit in person without paying, there's a more thrilling process: on e-commerce platforms like Taobao, you can buy single-entry membership cards. The seller gives you a QR code to pass the first gate, then repeats the trick at checkout. Many netizens who've suffered 'social death' at the payment stage have proven this requires strong nerves and solid daigou skills; otherwise, you might fail at the first scan. That's why clever scalpers have upgraded their business, and the aforementioned 'Shaoxing Sam's entry service' is the latest innovation.
Image source: Sam's Hut On social media, many posts tout 'Shaoxing Sam's Experience Card,' claiming seamless entry without waiting, plus services like photo assistance, product introductions, and checkout. Scalpers have clearly read the minds of young Sam's shoppers, replicating the elite lifestyle experience. According to netizens, the entry fee is 10 yuan per person, or 25.9 yuan for four, available from 18:00 to closing, Monday to Sunday. The process is smooth and the experience is top-notch. Staff at the Shaoxing Sam's store said they've noticed the 'Sam's scalpers' and emphasized that this is not an official Sam's service, declining further comment. The store's response is telling: as everyone knows, a Sam's membership card allows up to four people at a time, and some occasional visitors don't want to buy an annual card, so scalpers fill the gap for those wanting a one-time Sam's experience—could this be an alternative form of traffic? Similar phenomena are not uncommon. Recently, the Sam's daigou craze sparked discussions, with slogans like 'Earn your first million through Sam's daigou' and 'Open a Sam's daigou store earning 100k a month at 30.' Many scalpers have also tapped into 'county-town middle class' consumers, shuttling between cities as professional daigou. Now, scalpers do affect the experience of regular Sam's customers—after all, queuing to grab products isn't very elegant for an elite lifestyle. But on the other hand, scalpers have successfully delivered Sam's to more consumers, contributing to sales growth. This is why Sam's tolerates scalpers; they've formed a parasitic relationship of mutual dependence.
Daigou's Next Target: Pangdonglai In contrast, Pangdonglai is more constrained in dealing with scalpers, due to its supermarket model. With stores mainly in Xuchang, the massive customer flow has overwhelmed the city, causing frequent traffic jams—a burden Pangdonglai accepts by not expanding beyond Henan. On the flip side, Pangdonglai has been a top trendsetter over the past year, with its popularity and reputation translating into sales. As of November 26, Pangdonglai Group's cumulative sales (Xuchang and Xinxiang) reached 14.638 billion yuan. Revenue heading toward 15 billion is certain, and with it, self-branded products are being snapped up, giving rise to daigou forces. Consumers feel the change first. Take the recent scandals with down jackets and sanitary pads: people flocked to Pangdonglai for solutions, only to find the products sold out. On social media, locals in Xuchang complain that the first impression of Pangdonglai is crowding, sometimes with shoes trampled off on the floor. Everything from big items like down jackets to vegetables like bean sprouts and tofu is up for grabs. Consumers are flooding Yu Donglai's comment section, pleading for change and a return to the old shopping experience.
Image source: Douyin @Pangdonglai Yu Donglai In fact, Pangdonglai is equally anxious. Starting December 7, bean sprouts and tofu are limited to 4 bags/boxes per person; on December 8, DL pressed peanut oil (5L) is limited to 2 bottles per person. The latest limits also include laundry detergent, wheat beer, and cleansing wipes at 2 items each, and juices, oat crisps, sesame oil, and baijiu at 10 items each.
Image source: Weibo @Changjiang Cloud News But the buying frenzy continues, and conflicts between daigou and consumers have intensified. Recently, there have been multiple incidents of people fighting over products, with some consumers suspecting others of being daigou, arguing over a bottle of oil. Scalpers have devised new tactics: a crude method is to expand their teams, hiring more people to use multiple membership accounts to buy, so now you see a spectacle of people checking out at self-service registers with multiple accounts. This 'ceiling of the supermarket industry' is on a bittersweet path: on one hand, excellent products and services bring Pangdonglai 'pouring wealth'; on the other, issues like daigou are eroding its brand image. As Pangdonglai's sales hit new highs, big daigou incomes are also rising, with some claiming to have made millions through daigou, achieving financial freedom—at the expense of Pangdonglai. Behind the noise and bustle lies a palpable crisis.
The Big Era of Retail In the vast stage of retail, Sam's Club and Pangdonglai shine like two bright pearls. How they broke away from the pack is worth examining. Why does Sam's succeed? Essentially, Sam's abandoned the 'big and comprehensive' strategy, raised membership fees, reduced SKUs, and devoted itself to serving members. This hinges on building a supply chain, including product selection, logistics, storage, and turnover. More importantly, Sam's promoted lifestyle resonates with the middle class; its carefully curated products embody people's aspirations for a better life, and the vast warehouse space offers an experience that makes it tangible. That's why Sam's has become the 'white moonlight' in consumers' hearts, both online and offline, making non-members eager to join. In contrast, Pangdonglai's success is simpler: in a nutshell, Pangdonglai has been symbolized as the spiritual benchmark of Chinese commerce. By eliminating the barrier between members and non-members, Pangdonglai's astonishing service and employee treatment, which defy business logic, have built a 'myth' narrative for Chinese supermarkets. This also explains why Pangdonglai benefits whenever a brand scandal occurs. Driven by strong recognition and curiosity, people are willing to pay a premium for daigou to experience Pangdonglai's culture, for the peace of mind in product quality and to support the company's growth. As I've said before, retail is an ancient industry with simple business logic: spend money, and if satisfied, return. But how to maximize this simple logic is an art, and more importantly, how to maintain the original intention and steady progress after building a commercial edifice. The grabbing business is one of the most direct issues: massive daigou buying affects the shopping environment, potentially cracking Sam's 'perfect illusion' and cooling the enthusiasm of Pangdonglai's loyal consumers. On the bright side, the scalper business's popularity shows that Sam's and Pangdonglai are recognized and needed. Now is a transformative era for retail, with one act after another, but the most critical and debatable issue returns to the basics: how to make shopping enjoyable and simple for consumers!