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The Sorrow of Renrenle, the Pain of Traditional Retail
In the third stage of maturity and decline, Renrenle peaked at its IPO, with family management laying hidden dangers. Throughout its development, Renrenle has been deeply influenced by family management, whose drawbacks are evident: lack of transparency, succession issues, exclusivity, unavoidable conflicts, and lagging institutional construction. For Renrenle and similar enterprises, finding a balance between family influence and professional expertise is key to overcoming difficulties and rising again.
联商网编辑部Walmart store that once ranked first in global daily sales closes
Amid a wave of store closures by traditional supermarkets, Walmart's first store in Jiangxi, which once achieved the world's highest single-day sales and operated for 20 years, has announced its closure. The store, located in Nanchang's Bayi Square, will shut down at the end of May due to lease expiration, marking another setback for the retail giant in China.
联商网编辑部Former Guangdong Supermarket Giant Faces Compulsory Delisting
Renrenle, once one of the "Big Three Supermarkets in Guangdong" alongside China Resources Vanguard and Xinyijia, is again suffering huge losses and facing a crisis. Its 2023 annual report shows revenue of 2.853 billion yuan, down 28.15% year-on-year, with a net loss attributable to shareholders of about 498 million yuan. After two consecutive years of losses and negative net assets, the company has been flagged with delisting risk warnings; if net assets remain negative by the end of 2024, it will be forced to delist.
联商网编辑部2024: The Year Retail Must Rely on Real Competence!
As we cross into 2024, the retail industry faces a period of low growth, intensified competition, and a struggle for pricing power along the value chain. With macroeconomic momentum shifting and consumer savings high, retail's overall drive remains weak, forcing businesses to focus on efficiency, innovation, and core competencies to survive and thrive.
联商网编辑部Carrefour Loses Northeast China, Multiple Stores Change Hands to Biyoute
Since the beginning of this year, there have been constant reports about Carrefour's restricted shopping card usage and consecutive store closures. Meanwhile, the question of who will take over the closed Carrefour stores has drawn industry attention. On September 26, Biyoute's Shenyang Tiexi Longemont store opened, notably at the former site of Carrefour Longemont Metropolis store. Also, Biyoute's Benxi Hualian Xincheng store will open on September 28, marking the first store under the strategic cooperation between Biyoute and Benxi Hualian. A Biyoute official revealed that this year, Biyoute has taken over multiple former Carrefour sites...
联商网编辑部Hou Yi of Freshippo: Compared with Sam's Club and Costco, We Are Still Elementary School Students
Freshippo is about to enter its harvest period, but founder and CEO Hou Yi continues to innovate and reflect. Recently, a foreign media report brought Freshippo back into the spotlight, stating that in an internal speech by Walmart China executives, Freshippo was the only competitor mentioned in Sam's Club's competitive landscape in China. Hou Yi responded that Freshippo has been working hard, innovating and changing, and humbly learning from international retail predecessors. "Because of our business philosophy, rapid learning and adaptability, Freshippo has also gained recognition from international peers. Perhaps we are still small now, but there will definitely be opportunities to catch up in the future."
联商网编辑部From Hema: The Full Feasibility of New Retail
Recently, the closure of a well-located old supermarket in Beijing sparked discussion, but it was soon replaced by Hema's X membership store. This is not an isolated case; as traditional hypermarkets shrink, Hema is accelerating store openings. Hema's founder Hou Yi believes this demonstrates the profound impact of new retail, proving it can be profitable, not just a money-burning model. Hema's success in fresh food retail, a notoriously difficult sector, shows the comprehensive feasibility of new retail.
联商网编辑部Insights Behind Meiyijia's Rise to the Top and FamilyMart's Stumble
After a year of rapid expansion, the competitive landscape of China's convenience store industry has shifted significantly. In 2022, Meiyijia topped the list with 30,008 stores, surpassing Sinopec's Yijie, while FamilyMart saw its first store decline in five years, raising questions about its position and the implications of Meiyijia's success.
联商网编辑部Dingdong Maicai Turns Profitable, JD.com Enters the Fray: Is Fresh Food E-commerce Back?
In November last year, Dingdong Maicai founder and CEO Liang Changlin outlined a profitability path: first, achieve unit economics breakeven in Shanghai in Q4, then expand to the Yangtze River Delta; second, turn cash flow positive by end of 2022 to early 2023; third, turn profit positive by 2023-2024. His plan was realized ahead of schedule, as Dingdong reported its first GAAP net profit in Q4 2022, signaling a potential turnaround for the fresh food e-commerce sector.
联商网编辑部Interview with 5 Convenience Store Heads: Why Embrace Instant Retail?
Delivery sales are pushing convenience stores to invest in technology. Some have said that the 20-plus-year history of convenience stores in China is a history of long-term competition between local and foreign convenience stores. The entry of foreign convenience stores brought many novel models such as 24-hour operation, fresh food, and supply chain. As 'latecomers' in the convenience store industry, local convenience stores have also shown strong learning ability, absorbing foreign business concepts while gaining insight into local customer preferences, forming their own business characteristics. In recent years, regional convenience stores such as Hunan Xinjiayi, Guangdong Tianfu, and Zhejiang Shizu have emerged as new city landmarks.
联商网编辑部Consumer Recovery Evident in First-Tier Cities During New Year Holiday: Four Phenomena Worth Noting
As 2023 begins, consumer sentiment is gradually emerging from hesitation, with overall spending recovering steadily during the New Year holiday. Key observations include a clear rebound in first-tier cities, strong performance in themed shopping malls, significant digital retail growth, and a slower recovery for traditional enclosed stores.
联商网编辑部The Ups and Downs of the Supermarket Industry in 2022
As 2022 draws to a close, physical retail has faced its most complex and difficult circumstances, with the supermarket sector particularly hard hit by a cyclical downturn and uncertainty. Supermarket companies have generally seen performance pressure, leading to strategic contraction, store closures, and major personnel changes, while some have even faced capital reductions. At the same time, some listed companies have proactively divested retail businesses for strategic transformation...
联商网编辑部How Can Physical Stores Successfully Break Through the Siege of E-commerce?
We are facing a situation where e-commerce dominates the Chinese retail market with a monopoly advantage, while consumers are upgrading their consumption patterns. Physical stores must shift from being mere 'goods movers' to offering differentiated value, such as superior dietary solutions, to survive and thrive.
联商网编辑部Is the 'End' of Retail Membership Stores?
As market conditions change, hypermarkets are declining, and brick-and-mortar retailers are shifting strategies to adapt to new consumption trends, with many turning to warehouse membership stores as a way to break through. However, this path is not smooth, and competition is intensifying as more players enter. How should warehouse membership stores develop in the future? Will they become the 'ultimate' form of retail?
联商网编辑部Moutai Sells Ice Cream, Opens Two Stores in a Row, 'Bowing' to Young People
Moutai, the Chinese baijiu giant, is making a strategic move to attract younger consumers by launching Moutai-flavored ice cream, opening stores in Guiyang and planning expansion to seven major cities. This cross-industry initiative aims to build brand affinity with the youth, who currently prefer low-alcohol drinks, and to secure future market share.
联商网编辑部From the Perspective of Social Infrastructure, the Retail Industry Has Huge Space
Facing the raging pandemic, Li Ling, a consultant for Lianshang.com, called on China's retail industry to evolve into a social infrastructure service, emphasizing its importance, uniqueness, and complexity. The author agrees with Li's advocacy for retail and social responsibility, and further extends this topic. Under the pandemic, retail for daily necessities benefits, while quality and leisure retail face difficulties, with greater challenges ahead.
联商网编辑部Yonghui's Elephant Turn: Back on the Path to Profitability
In 2021, physical supermarkets faced a tough environment. Recently, major listed supermarket companies released their 2021 annual reports, showing grim data: nearly 90% saw revenue declines, and all saw net profit drops, with some suffering significant losses. In 2021, facing repeated COVID-19 outbreaks, weak consumer spending, intensified competition, community group buying impact, rising fixed costs, and the impact of new leasing standards, domestic physical supermarkets faced enormous pressure, and the industry showed a bleak atmosphere.
联商网编辑部Community Group Buying Retreats
Community group buying players have begun their retreat. Since the second half of last year, Dailuobo ceased operations, Tongcheng Life filed for bankruptcy, and Shixianghui has been deserted. Shihui Tuan was reported to have shut down all its business in cities nationwide, entering a cleanup phase to handle supplier payments and employee compensation. Among the 'old three groups,' only Xingsheng Youxuan remains. Giants entering with capital are also struggling, with Orange Heart Youxuan pivoting with difficulty and Jingxi Pinpin cutting jobs. Meituan Youxuan, Duoduo Maicai, and Taocaicai are also contracting.
联商网编辑部A Veteran Group Leader's View on Community Group Buying: Accustomed to Exits, Yet Hard to Give Up
Community group buying, once hot in the capital market, has shifted from virtual to real and entered its second half. Except for Xingsheng Youxuan, other veteran players have fallen behind, with Tongcheng Life bankrupt and Shihuituan retreating nationwide. New entrants like Chenxin Youxuan are struggling to transform, while Jingxi Pinpin is downsizing. These contractions, transformations, and closures indicate that community group buying has entered the arena of top players. As the entire track focuses on cost reduction and efficiency, the integration and elimination round in the second half will continue. Community group buying is a business centered on 'people'...
联商网编辑部Summoned, Debt-Chased, Closed, Downsized... Fresh Food E-commerce Has Narrowed Its Path
Is fresh food suitable for e-commerce? The answer is yes, but the current path seems to have gone astray. Recently, 'fresh food e-commerce' has become an industry focus again, but this time it's not about expansion or IPO, but about being summoned, debt-chased, closed, and downsized. Some industry media predict this is the beginning of its collapse, but in my view, although 'defeat is certain', it's not that the path is wrong, but that it has gone astray. As an industry practitioner and heavy user of fresh food e-commerce, I'd like to share some personal feelings and thoughts.
联商网编辑部The Controversial Pre-Made Dishes: Would You Choose Them?
Last week, 21 pre-made dish concept stocks on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges continued to strengthen. As of January 20, Delisi (002330.SZ) hit the daily limit for 7 consecutive days, while Haixin Foods (002702.SZ) and Fucheng Shares (600965.SH) had four consecutive limit-up days. Guolian Aquatic Products (300094.SZ) rose about 100% since the start of 2022. A research report by Shanxi Securities predicts that China's pre-made dish market will reach 340 billion yuan in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 18%. In the next 3-5 years, the industry is expected to become the next trillion-yuan catering market.
联商网编辑部The Great Retreat of Social E-commerce
Once glorious, now desolate—this aptly describes the current state of social e-commerce players. After Beidian's collapse last August, platforms like Alibaba's Tao Xiaopu, JD's Dong Xiaodian, Tencent's Xiao E Pinpin, and Xiaomi's Youpin Youyu have also shut down due to strategic adjustments. With stricter regulations, the traditional 'recruit people + multi-level distribution' model faces huge challenges, and many platforms are struggling to survive or pivot.
联商网编辑部National Major Provinces and Cities 2022 Spring Festival Sales Data Released
Golden Week consumption is often seen as a barometer of China's economy. Despite sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks before the holiday, this year's epidemic prevention measures were relatively mild, supporting travel and consumption. During the seven-day Spring Festival holiday, an estimated 130 million passenger trips were made nationwide, up 31.7% year-on-year. Domestic tourism revenue reached 289.198 billion yuan, down 3.9% year-on-year, recovering to 56.3% of the 2019 level. Catering and entertainment consumption also showed growth, with Meituan takeout orders for New Year's Eve dinner up 143.25% year-on-year, and box office revenue reaching 6.026 billion yuan, the second highest for Spring Festival in Chinese film history.
联商网编辑部Can Retailers Really Give Up Slotting Fees?
Retailers charging slotting fees was pioneered by Carrefour, which introduced the practice to China in the 1990s, turning it into an industry norm. However, times have changed, and Carrefour, once a pioneer, now struggles with store closures, prompting questions about the sustainability of such fees. The article discusses the challenges and implications of abandoning slotting fees, using Lawson's recent decision to waive them in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai as a case study.
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