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Yonghui is saving its stores, Walmart is changing its fate
Two pieces of news about traditional hypermarkets recently caught attention: Yonghui announced the second phase of its transformation, focusing on supply chain reform and private label development, while Walmart reopened a renovated store in Chengdu with plans to upgrade over 100 stores this year. Both are moving in different directions: Yonghui is working to bring customers back to its stores, while Walmart is redefining its hypermarket model for efficiency and precision.
汪海Breaking | Chaohesuan NB Enters Beijing for the First Time, Store Location Confirmed
Chaohesuan NB is set to re-enter Beijing. According to 'Innovation Retail News', confirmed with insiders at Chaohesuan NB, the first store will be located at the Shangpin Zhekou Huilongguan store. This marks the official entry of Hema's budget community supermarket into Beijing. Notably, this is not Hema's first attempt at community stores in Beijing, but this time, Chaohesuan NB is not the fresh food outlet store it was before.
汪海Starting Your Own Brand: Begin by Copying Aldi
A recent market survey reveals that many Chinese retailers, from industry leaders to regional players, are modeling their private label strategies on Aldi. While copying Aldi's visible elements like packaging and product selection is common, the real challenge lies in replicating its underlying business model and organizational capabilities.
汪海Annual Revenue 70 Billion Yuan, 35 Years of Consecutive Growth: Why Don Quijote Is Japan's Only Retail Myth
A retail company that creates theme songs for crabs, sweet potatoes, and oden—have you ever seen that? Last month, the author visited Hong Kong and made a special trip to Don Quijote in Causeway Bay. After shopping, one feeling kept circling in my mind: the things domestic retail has spent so much effort on in recent years—lowering shelves, widening aisles, refining displays, and enhancing the shopping experience—are almost nowhere to be found in this store. Yet its business is incredibly good. This contrast is worth a serious discussion. Don Quijote's shelves are stacked to the ceiling, the layout is disorienting, and affordable snacks and luxury goods are squeezed onto the same shelf, earning it the nickname 'the worst store.' But it is the only retail company among Japan's 3,000 listed companies to achieve 35 consecutive years of double growth in both revenue and profit.
汪海50-Yuan Membership Card, 28,000-Square-Meter Store: Why Did 'Happy Farm' Become a Hit in Shenyang?
In 2026, retail is undergoing a process of 'filter shattering.' While foreign membership stores are busy building middle-class fantasies, Shenyang's 'Happy Farm' uses the aroma of freshly roasted sunflower seeds to bring physical retail back down to earth. In early February, in Shenyang's minus-20-degree 'heat wave,' the store's sensory impact is physiological, starting with the smell of freshly roasted seeds, a stark contrast to the cold, sterile atmosphere of most supermarkets.
汪海Yonghui exits, Hema enters, setting up shop at Pangdonglai's doorstep in Xinxiang
In early April, the Yonghui supermarket on the first floor of Xinxiang Baolong Plaza officially closed, and Hema Fresh announced it would open its first Xinxiang store in the same location, expected to launch in June or July. This transition marks a shift in China's supermarket industry, with Hema entering a market where Pangdonglai has a strong presence, highlighting different strategies for competing in a mature market.
汪海Heavyweight | Latest 2026 Lightning Warehouse Brand Inventory
If before 2025 the industry was still debating what lightning warehouses are and how to operate them, then standing at the crossroads of 2026, when we examine the latest industry data, a brutal and clear reality has emerged: In 2026, instant retail has completely bid farewell to the era of 'burning money to tell stories' and completed an evolution from 'new and fast' to 'real and accurate.' The so-called shift from 'new' to 'real' means the industry no longer believes in the myth of scale through land grabbing, but instead focuses on 'true density'—only with sufficient regional density can logistics costs be minimized and store profits be real.
汪海Hema, Aldi, Meituan Attack Fiercely, Traditional Supermarkets Have No Way Out!
On the last weekend of January 2026 (January 23-25), three major forces made simultaneous moves in different regions: Hema NB opened two stores in Dongguan, Guangdong, pushing into South China; Aldi opened four stores in Nanjing, further consolidating its presence in the Yangtze River Delta; and Xiaoxiang Supermarket jumped from Beijing to Ningbo, breaking geographical logic. This marks the end of the 'scale is king' era and the beginning of an 'efficiency cleansing period' in community retail, leaving traditional supermarkets with weak supply chains and rough management little time.
汪海Second- and Third-Tier City Malls Compete for Hema's First Store
Recently, while surveying the market, I noticed an interesting phenomenon: malls haven't been this 'uniformly lively' in a long time. This buzz isn't from new dining options or trendy brand openings, but from the arrival of Hema's first store. Before the opening, local Xiaohongshu and community groups heat up with schedules, queue strategies, and must-buy lists; on opening day, the excitement peaks with queues at the basement entrance, overloaded parking lots, and insufficient shopping carts. More strikingly, the buzz spills over: people in line grab coffee, those waiting dine upstairs, and families with kids explore children's activities, lifting the entire building's atmosphere. In homogeneous, traffic-fluctuating second- and third-tier commercial areas, this visible footfall, topics, and spillover are rare. Soon, you see the second act: malls that were passive in leasing suddenly become proactive, even competing fiercely, for a brand—offering prime locations, adjusting layouts, stacking resources, and coordinating promotions, all to secure Hema's first store. But this raises a question: with many first stores, why does Hema trigger such competition?
汪海Heavyweight | Latest Inventory of Lightning Warehouse Systems in 2025!
Since March 2025, with JD.com's entry into food delivery, the three major platforms have sparked fierce competition in the delivery market. As subsidies wane, the six-month subsidy war has subsided, and the market landscape is stabilizing. This battle has subtly shifted user preferences and consumption habits, transforming the instant retail narrative from 'new' to 'real'. In this supply-side restructuring, lightning warehouses—a format between front warehouses and mom-and-pop stores—have been pushed to center stage.
汪海90% of Brands Still Don't Understand Instant Retail
Over the past two years, instant retail has become the most unavoidable term for FMCG industry practitioners. However, behind this seemingly lively wave, an awkward reality is that the vast majority of brands don't know what they are doing. They treat instant retail as food delivery, view advertising as transactions, and see platforms as traffic sources. As a result, budgets are burned, sales remain stagnant, and internal debates persist over which department should own it.
汪海Hema Accelerates Downward Expansion, Traditional Supermarkets 'Panic'
On September 12, Hema Fresh opened its first store in Linyi, Shandong, setting a national opening-day sales record and marking a milestone in its downward expansion strategy. The store's success highlights how Hema is reshaping consumer perceptions in lower-tier cities, forcing traditional supermarkets to adapt or risk losing market share.
汪海On-site Visit: Happy Monkey's Second Store Opens, Meituan Opens Another Store in Hangzhou Just 13 Days Later
Today, Happy Monkey's second store, Meida Liyang Store in Gongshu District, Hangzhou, opened its doors, just 13 days after the first store's debut. This rapid expansion indicates Meituan's thorough preparation for its offline retail venture. The new store, located near Shentangqiao Metro Station, is significantly larger than the first, and despite being a weekday morning, it was bustling with customers.
汪海2-Person Team, 11 Million in First Month: The Neglected Blue Ocean Channel for Distributors Is Booming
Distributors are squeezed between upstream pressure and downstream retail disruption, but a new blue ocean channel on Dewu is offering low-cost, high-profit opportunities. With no ad spend, a two-person team achieved 11 million yuan in sales in their first month, and many have seen rapid growth by tapping into the platform's 500 million young users.
汪海2 People Run It, First Month GMV Exceeds 11 Million, Distributors Flock to New Blue Ocean
Distributors are facing high risks and thin margins, but many are finding new growth on Dewu, a platform with over 500 million young users. With low entry barriers, low return rates, and high growth, even small teams can achieve significant sales, making it a promising new channel for FMCG distributors.
汪海From Marketing Breakout to Cultural Going Global: JDB Tells More Than Just a Herbal Tea Story
In an era of marketing saturation, consumer attention is fragmented, making seasonal marketing for FMCG brands increasingly challenging. Single-point breakthroughs no longer work; users want complete narratives, natural brand expressions, and interactive experiences with real value. This summer, JDB, the 'talent scout' of the music world, delivered a powerful combination: using music as a medium and herbal tea as a friend, centered on the 'Asia New Voice' music variety IP, launching six music-themed JDB Asia New Voice cans, integrating AI interactions and terminal sales scenarios to build a closed-loop marketing ecosystem.
汪海Supermarkets in Shopping Malls Are Really Struggling!
A recent market visit revealed that supermarkets in three local shopping malls are nearly empty, with high-traffic malls seeing low customer conversion and low-traffic malls facing closures. The article analyzes external causes such as vertical category competition, instant retail, and discount retail, and suggests transformation paths like product differentiation and efficiency leadership.
汪海Businesses Distributors Can't Do Anymore, Retailers Are Grabbing!
In the past, the FMCG market had competition, but each party—manufacturers, distributors, and retailers—stuck to their own business. Recently, the industry trend has changed drastically: terminal stores are shrinking, and distributor inventories are high. The traditional division of production, supply, and sales is being broken. Manufacturers are directly connecting with retail terminals, and traditional retailers are building their own supply chains, internalizing distributor functions. Retailers are increasingly taking over distributors' business.
汪海Selling 60,000 Orders and Generating 11 Million in Revenue in the First Month: FMCG Distributors Flock to the Next New Opportunity
A dairy distributor noted that while his monthly purchases have tripled over the past decade, his net profit has halved. In an era of overcapacity, traditional distribution channels are losing their edge, and distributors are finding new growth on the Dewu platform, which offers low barriers to entry, high efficiency, and access to young consumers.
汪海The Market Still Needs Supermarkets
According to the newly released '2024 China Chain TOP 100' by the China Chain Store & Franchise Association, compared to 2023, more than half of retail enterprises saw a decline in scale. Walmart has fallen below 300 stores, and Yonghui is expected to close 250-350 stores this year... The once-glorious 'supermarket' model seems to be facing contraction. Chain supermarkets are no longer chosen by consumers due to high product prices, high operating costs, and diversion by other formats. However, in the latest list, 10 companies still achieved double-digit growth in sales and store numbers.
汪海ALDI Has "Figured Out" the Chinese Market
Local supermarkets may not dare, but foreign companies might. ALDI, the German hard-discount supermarket, has captured the demanding "Shanghai citizens" with private-label products accounting for 90% of its assortment, and is achieving frequent successes in East China. On May 10, ALDI's third store outside Shanghai opened in Kunshan, Suzhou, with first-day sales exceeding 1.1 million yuan and foot traffic reaching 100,000, setting a new single-day sales record for ALDI in China. In its first year outside Shanghai, ALDI has opened stores that are all hits.
汪海Children's Milk Market 'Consumption Upgrade': What Makes Future Star Zhuanhu Catch the Eyes of New-Generation Parents?
As post-90s and post-95s parents become the mainstream consumers in the children's market, their demands for children's milk have shifted from basic nutrition to health, functionality, and specialization. Future Star Zhuanhu, a pioneer in age-specific nutrition milk, launched its HMO-containing liquid formula for children aged 3+, aiming to fill the gap in the market and win over new-generation parents with its scientific formula and precise positioning.
汪海First Step of Supermarket Reform: 'Squeeze' Distributors, Second Step: 'Drive Crazy' Brand Owners?
At Yonghui Superstores' 2025 Global Supplier Conference, Ye Guofu proposed supply chain reform, explicitly eliminating intermediaries, which caused an uproar in the industry. Intermediaries are essentially distributors in the traditional distribution chain who handle logistics and advance funds. On the surface, only distributors seem affected, but historically, distributors have often acted as 'workers' for brand owners. As supermarket reforms proceed, upstream brand owners will inevitably face a new set of game rules.
汪海10,000+ SKUs, Covering 4,000+ Outlets: Turning a Traditional Trading Company into a 'One-Stop Supply Platform' for Local Retail Stores!
In recent years, New Distribution has visited many distributor bosses who report that business is tough and revenue growth without profit growth is the norm. Many distributors are struggling to survive, being eliminated by the market, or acquired by competitors. The main difficulty for distributors today is the increased uncertainty in the downstream retail market. On one hand, the wave of traditional supermarket closures leads to customer loss, and mid-sized stores have weaker risk resistance. On the other hand, snack stores are expanding aggressively with low prices, followed by discount stores, and supermarket renovations require distributors to supply at bare prices. These channel changes have a huge impact on today's distributors.
汪海