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Articles by 楚勿留香
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The Fresh Snack Track Is Too Hot—Beware of Heatstroke!
If one were to pick the two hottest tracks in China's retail industry in 2026, one would be discount stores, and the other would definitely be fresh snacks. Facts have shown that fresh snacks have spread at a speed visible to the naked eye from regional experimental fields in Hunan and Jiangxi to commercial complexes nationwide. Recently, RT-Mart and Three Squirrels entered a strategic cooperation to enter the fresh snack track, with the first nine 'fresh snack store-in-store' locations set to land in East China in June.
楚勿留香From Prepaid Card 'Run' to Cornered: Is Meituhao Pushing Itself into a Dead End?
Meituhao Supermarket's chairman Chu Dequn described the recent crisis as a 'run' on prepaid cards, which has lasted over three months and involved 1.1-1.2 billion yuan. The crisis was triggered by store closures and negative online sentiment, leading to a loss of consumer trust and a cash flow crunch.
楚勿留香Why Are Snack Stores Opening More but Earning Less?
In 2025, China's snack industry presents a paradox: more stores are opening, yet growth is slowing, prices are fiercely competitive, and consumer demands are diversifying. Zhang Yuhai, founder of Qihuo Street, candidly stated at a conference, "We are fortunate to still be alive," reflecting the harsh reality of the industry. After nine years, Qihuo Street remains one of the few brands adhering to high-quality standards, surviving intense competition through innovation and trust-building.
楚勿留香The Opportunity for Offline Retail Lies in Differentiation
As the wave of supermarket 'adjustment and reform' intensifies, Angel Bay Ventures partner Tan Zhiwang argues that copying others' 'result-oriented' actions is the easiest way to fail. Instead, one should learn 'why others can achieve it, not what they have achieved.' He emphasizes looking two years ahead, focusing on differentiation in categories, products, and high-margin areas, and building core capabilities in fresh food, processing, private brands, and traffic.
楚勿留香Community Discount Competition Intensifies: Meituan and JD.com Clash in Beijing's Suburbs
Meituan's 'Happy Monkey' and JD.com's 'JD Discount Supermarket' have opened their first Beijing stores within 1.5 kilometers of each other in Mentougou, sparking a community retail battle. Both internet giants leverage their unique strengths—Meituan's instant retail network and JD's supply chain—to compete in the discount supermarket space, reflecting a broader industry shift towards value and efficiency.
楚勿留香Hard Discount Surging: Amid Price Tearing, Seeing the Truth of Chinese Consumption
Hard discount stores are rapidly expanding across China, driven by economic uncertainty and changing consumer attitudes. This article explores the rise of hard discount retail, the underlying reasons for its growth, and its implications for the retail industry.
楚勿留香Front-Warehouse Model Enters 'Oligopoly Era', Leaving Little Room for Smaller Players
The front-warehouse model in China's instant retail sector is entering an oligopoly era dominated by platform giants like Meituan, Alibaba, and JD.com, as seen in the 2025 'food delivery war'. While pioneers like Dingdong Maicai and Pumo have achieved profitability through supply chain innovation and strategic focus, smaller players face increasingly slim chances due to the overwhelming advantages of these giants in capital, technology, and ecosystem integration.
楚勿留香After Surpassing 10,000 Stores, Is the End of Snack Stores a Supermarket?
On the morning of May 26, Wanchen Group (300972.SZ) announced that its chairman, Wang Jiankun, had been released from detention and returned to his duties. This seemingly ordinary news sent ripples through the snack industry, which had just seen Wanchen report impressive Q1 2025 results: revenue of 10.821 billion yuan, up 124.02% year-on-year, and net profit of 215 million yuan, up 3344.13%. As the industry enters an elimination round, snack companies are diversifying, with many moving toward a 'supermarket' model to find new growth.
楚勿留香Sam's Club's 'Great Leap Forward'
Sam's Club China is accelerating its expansion, with eight stores expected to exceed $500 million in annual sales, and its 'store-warehouse-cloud integration' model driving online sales to over half of its revenue. The company is strategically expanding into affluent county-level cities, backed by capital from Walmart's divestiture of JD.com shares, and is focusing on product quality, membership experience, and value-for-money to win over Chinese consumers.
楚勿留香Snack Retailers Accelerate 'Supermarketization', Traditional Snack Companies See Diverging Performance
If 2024 was a year when the snack industry split like a river, with traditional snack companies mired in difficulties while bulk snack retailers surged ahead, then 2025 marks a watershed with 'supermarketization' becoming the new battleground. Leading bulk snack players are evolving from snack collection stores into 'money-saving supermarkets' and 'wholesale supermarkets', seeking new growth beyond the snack aisle.
楚勿留香In 2024, Supermarkets That Closed, Disappeared, or Fell into Crisis
In 2024, China's supermarket sector was turbulent, with once-prominent brands facing closures, bankruptcies, or crises. This article examines four traditional supermarket chains—Shanghai CityShop, Xinglong Family, Ganyuting, and Fudi—that declined due to strategic errors, management issues, or failure to adapt to market changes.
楚勿留香Snack Discount Retailers in 2024: Small Brands Exit, Giants Aim for 'Terminal Dominance'
The snack discount retail industry is entering a new competitive phase, marked by the formation of a leading tier. In June, the MMHP Group, formed by Snack Busy and Zhao Yiming Snacks, surpassed 10,000 stores and now exceeds 14,000, while the second-place Wanchen Group is close to that threshold. Meanwhile, mid- and lower-tier brands face squeezed survival space, with some franchise stores incurring losses and closures, fueling industry skepticism.
楚勿留香Under the Duel of Two Snack Giants, Small and Medium Snack Stores 'Have No More Opportunities'
A snack store can go from opening to closing in just two months, with some franchisees announcing store transfers after only 30 days. Industry insiders suggest that many owners profit from subsidies and transfer their stores within a few months, while the rise of two dominant players (Mingming Henmang and Wanchen Group) has left most small and medium snack stores with no chance in the snack category alone.
楚勿留香Front Warehouse Model Gains Traction Again
After abandoning the model four years ago, Hema Fresh's relaunch of front warehouses in Shanghai has reignited market interest. The move aims to address areas not covered by its stores in dense cities, improving user experience. Beyond Hema, more retailers are adopting the model, with Miniso launching its '24-hour super store' format this year, and Sam's Club's success in this area serving as a key inspiration.
楚勿留香Shanghai CityShop Ceases All Operations: What Lies Ahead for Premium Supermarkets?
Shanghai CityShop, a premium supermarket chain operating for 29 years, suddenly announced the closure of all its stores. The company cited persistent losses despite various self-rescue efforts, and plans to dissolve the company and address debts legally.
楚勿留香Meituan Select Enters the Deep Water Zone
At just past 8:00 AM, a delivery truck pulled up beside a group-buying pickup point in Shenzhen's Shangshui Garden. Deng Liang (pseudonym), a Meituan Select group leader, was already waiting at the door, helping the driver unload goods into the station. He has run this station for over two years. "For the convenience of my neighbors, I didn't even take a break during the Chinese New Year. Now, I only take orders from Meituan Select and have closed other community group-buying platforms." According to Deng, the most noticeable change at Meituan Select began around June this year, with delivery times arriving earlier—goods that used to arrive at 3 or 4 PM now arrive before noon, and the variety of products has increased significantly, including some vegetables and fruits he had never seen before.
楚勿留香An 80s Office Worker's Account: Why I No Longer Shop at Traditional Supermarkets?
Li Mingliang, an 80s office worker in Beijing, explains that he now primarily uses Meituan Maicai, Dingdong Maicai, and Meituan Waimai for groceries, and has not visited physical supermarkets for nearly a year. When he does go to physical stores, he prefers Sam's Club. His spending data from January to July shows that online channels account for about 60% of his grocery spending, while offline spending is mainly at Sam's Club and wet markets.
楚勿留香Convenience Stores: An Unusual Growth Story
Convenience stores have become one of the few retail formats in physical retail to maintain growth over the past three years. This article analyzes the trends and competitive dynamics in China's convenience store industry, highlighting the rise of domestic chains like Meiyijia and the expansion strategies of foreign players like Lawson.
楚勿留香Retail Returns to 'Unnoticed' State: 2023 Is the Watershed for Survival
In the past, retailers could blame the COVID-19 pandemic for poor business; now that excuse is gone. The first year after the pandemic is the true watershed for retailers' survival. "In 2023, the biggest problem facing China's retail industry is the sluggish market and weak sales growth," said one retail executive. Recently, he received calls from several friends facing nearly identical issues: store sales have declined to varying degrees, and owners are worried about the future. This concern is not unfounded...
楚勿留香Inflation or Deflation: Where Does the Difficulty Lie for China's Retail Industry in 2023?
The release of February CPI and PPI data has sparked debate over whether China faces inflation or deflation. However, either scenario poses challenges for retailers. While some food products have seen price hikes, overall demand remains weak, and experts warn that deflation risks outweigh inflation risks, with retail enterprises facing significant pressure from sluggish sales and rising costs.
楚勿留香Beware of the Discount Store 'Trap'
Almost all hard discount stores succeed through simplicity and scale, as exemplified by Germany's Aldi. However, in China, many discount store projects are targeting individual consumption scenarios and some are even 'cutting leeks' (scamming) under the guise of discount stores. According to investor Hu Chunlong of M31 Capital, a community-oriented discount store model is more suitable for the current Chinese market.
楚勿留香Convenience Store Chains Stage a 'Battle' in Xiamen
In just one year, the number of convenience stores in Xiamen increased by 2,264, making it the top city in China for convenience store development. Attracted by the city's strong economy, high-income population, and favorable business environment, major chains like 7-Eleven, LAWSON, and local brands are aggressively expanding, setting the stage for intense competition.
楚勿留香In the Post-Pandemic Era, Fresh Food Supermarkets Rush to Private Domain
Holding the original position and finding incremental space is the top priority for supermarket enterprises, and private domain is a directional choice. Wang Wei, founder of Fresh Legend, advises fresh food supermarket enterprises to pay attention to online business, as consumers have been educated and online shopping is mature. By early 2022, Fresh Legend's online sales accounted for 10% and are planned to reach 15%-20% this year.
楚勿留香China's Retail Industry in 2022: Hope and Survival
Before hope arrives, one must first survive. In the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, many retail enterprises maintained cautious optimism. "Hope and survival" is the keyword for 2022 in the eyes of Li Yanchuan, chairman of Chaoshifa. He believes 2022 should be better than 2021, as some experts suggest it may be the last harsh winter of the pandemic.
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