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E-commerce & Instant Retail articles
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Browse 1243 New Distribution articles about E-commerce & Instant Retail.
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How Offline 'Pinduoduo' Players Are Expanding Their Online Territory
In the past two years, two retail formats have maintained rapid growth: discount retail and instant retail. Discount stores, known for high cost-performance, have expanded rapidly despite intense competition and store closures in the supermarket sector. Meanwhile, instant retail has grown at an average annual rate of over 50%, with its market size expected to triple by 2025. Increasingly, discount chain brands like HotMaxx and Hi-TGO are embracing instant retail, blending these complementary formats to meet evolving consumer needs.
周群October Rice Field Takes Corn Sales to New Heights
A fresh corn cob can sell for as little as 2 yuan at a street stall, but with branding and e-commerce, it can generate over 100 million yuan in sales. In the corn category on Douyin from January to May 2024, October Rice Field captured nearly half of the market by repositioning corn as a snack and focusing on supply chain and consumer insights.
沥金P&G Alumni Entrepreneurs Trapped in Consumption Downgrade
A former P&G executive who once served as senior vice president of Daphne, China's top women's shoe brand, started a high-end handmade custom leather shoe project, but after little response, he turned to investment. Years later, another P&G alumnus, former Google China CMO and Babytree founder, launched a new venture selling shoes for the pre-elderly, which has remained stable. Meanwhile, P&G alumni-founded new consumer brands like Perfect Diary and RELX have seen their market values plummet to about 5% of their peaks, reflecting the broader challenges of consumption downgrade.
云山珠水JamesWhat Would Happen if Douyin Invested in Pupu Supermarket?
After three years, Chen Xingwen seems to have found new financing for Pupu Supermarket. According to media reports, Pupu completed a new round of financing negotiations in March, with a short-video internet company as the likely investor, speculated to be Douyin. This investment could provide much-needed funds and traffic support for Pupu, while helping Douyin strengthen its home-delivery capabilities in local life services.
RBF内容组Six Consecutive Quarters of Profit: Fresh Food E-commerce Giant Quietly Making Money
Dingdong Maicai has achieved six consecutive quarters of Non-GAAP profitability, with Q1 2024 GMV reaching 5.53 billion yuan and net profit of 41.48 million yuan, dispelling doubts about its business viability. The company's focus on the East China market, supply chain optimization, and product quality has driven this success.
廖一帆The End of a Decade of E-commerce Pre-sales: Will Consumers Buy It?
On May 20, Tmall's 618 shopping festival went on sale with immediate delivery, potentially marking the end of e-commerce 'pre-sales.' This mechanism, initiated by Alibaba in 2012, has been imitated by major e-commerce platforms. Over 12 years, pre-sales have generated significant sales for platforms and merchants, and the model of paying a deposit first and then the balance has also benefited consumers. However, as pre-sale rules have become increasingly complex, consumers have grown weary of the 'math problem' shopping experience, and the long waiting periods have turned annual promotions into a test of patience.
高宇哲From Store Buyer to Distributor: Focusing on Instant Retail, How Did He Achieve Annual Sales of Over 200 Million?
“In the next five years, the only channel that can maintain growth in a shrinking market is instant retail,” a view shared by Zhao Bo, founder of New Distribution, during a recent market visit. Driven by the new retail wave, platform-based home delivery models like JD Daojia and Pupu Supermarket have emerged alongside traditional FMCG channels, while traditional supermarkets such as Walmart, Yonghui, and RT-Mart are also embracing instant retail by digitalizing local stores. Previously, distributors had weak participation in new retail channels, with most managed directly by manufacturers, but instant retail, as part of localized business, offers new opportunities for distributors.
何雯Meituan Flash Delivery Warehouses Accelerate Supply Chain Layout: Where Are the Opportunities for Distributors?
Recently, we visited several distributors and discussed industry changes, noting a shift from purely offline thinking to integrated online-offline business development. Distributors are increasingly interested in local instant retail, particularly Meituan's Flash Delivery Warehouses (Flash Warehouses), and are asking whether they can participate in this business model.
周群Zhao Bo of New Distribution: The Logic and Direction of Channel Transformation in the FMCG Industry
This article is a foreword written by Zhao Bo, founder of New Distribution, for the book "The Password to Channel Construction: Digital Development and Practice of Consumer Goods Channels." It analyzes the evolution of China's retail and distribution channels, the rise and limitations of deep distribution, and the necessity of digital transformation in the face of changing market dynamics.
赵波Video Account White Labels: Harvesting County-Level Luxury Women
During the Chinese New Year visit home, Xiaomei discovered that her family members had a habit of shopping on WeChat Channels, just like scrolling through Douyin or browsing Taobao. WeChat Channels has become a regular e-commerce platform for a group of people. Tencent internally has repeatedly mentioned the commercialization potential of WeChat Channels: at the end of 2022, Ma Huateng said in an internal speech that WeChat Channels is Tencent's hope for the future. It was also in that quarter's financial report that WeChat Channels' advertising revenue was first disclosed: over 3 billion RMB in three months. Tencent's 2023 annual results announcement emphasized that the total user time on WeChat Channels doubled compared to 2022.
关注微信生态的DTBusy County Towns: 80% of Franchisees Losing Money?
Wang Lei returned to his county town in Shandong to start a braised food business, leveraging his experience and catering to young tastes, and is doing well with online orders. In contrast, Li Li's milk tea shop failed within months due to high costs and low sales, while franchisees like Li Yang and Yan Zi also suffered losses, highlighting the risks of county-town entrepreneurship despite the perceived opportunities.
晴山The Battle Between E-commerce and Physical Retail Is Nearing a Critical Point
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, retail sales of consumer goods in Q1 2024 reached 12.0327 trillion yuan, up 4.7% year-on-year. While the catering sector continued to grow strongly, physical goods retail saw weaker growth, and the competition between online and offline channels is approaching a tipping point.
蒙嘉怡Duoduo Maicai and Meituan Youxuan Continue to Reduce Losses, Community Group Buying Shifts Focus to Profitability
After four years of pursuing growth and scale, the only two national players in the community group buying sector, Duoduo Maicai and Meituan Youxuan, have entered a new phase in 2024 where profitability is the top priority. Meituan Youxuan plans to control its full-year losses at 10-12 billion yuan in 2024, reducing losses by 8-10 billion yuan from the previous year. Duoduo Maicai plans to halve its labor costs from 4 billion yuan to around 2 billion yuan in 2024, while continuing to cut costs in other areas. Currently, Meituan Youxuan's operating loss margin has narrowed from over 20 percentage points to 10-15 percentage points, while Duoduo Maicai's has narrowed to single digits, suggesting that Duoduo Maicai may achieve profitability sooner this year.
晚点团队The Sales Code Under the Transformation of New Retail Channels
A common sentiment is that business has become increasingly difficult in recent years—where have sales gone? The market is harder to control, with more channel conflict and price management challenges. Wang Jichao, General Manager of Zebra Business Operations Co., Ltd., a platform focused on local life e-commerce, has led projects in community group buying, e-commerce, and Meituan Flash Shopping. At the 9th China FMCG Innovation Conference & the 2nd China FMCG Hard Discount Conference & the 2nd China FMCG Distributor Conference, he shared insights on the sales code under new retail channel transformation, offering new ideas for distributors.
王继超Earning 20 Billion a Year, the Pinduoduo of Snacks Hunts in County Towns
Following Zhenxin Fried Chicken, Wallace, Juewei Duck Neck, Mixue Ice City, Luckin Coffee, and Guoquan, another brand has announced it is about to reach the 10,000-store milestone. However, this is a snack discount store brand rarely heard of in first-tier cities—Snack Busy. It started in Changsha, Hunan, focusing on county towns, where you can buy Sprite for 1.9 yuan, Xizhilang jelly for 2 yuan, and bulk snacks for a few cents per pack. Franchisees describe it as an 'offline Pinduoduo' or 'snack version of Mixue Ice City'. At the end of last year, Snack Busy merged with another brand, Zhao Yiming Snacks, and the article explores the low-price secrets of this model and whether the industry can produce another 10,000-store company.
定焦团队Pinduoduo Meets Its Match in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou
1688, Alibaba's B2B platform, is gaining popularity among young consumers seeking affordable alternatives to big brands. With low prices and a vast selection, it has become a go-to for cost-conscious shoppers, leading to a surge in social media buzz and a strategic elevation within Alibaba.
关注大公司的DTPOSM Visual Strategy: The Next Competitive Frontier in Snack Foods
At the 9th China FMCG Innovation Conference held in Chengdu from March 14 to 16, themed 'Supply Chain Revolution,' He Luyi, co-founder and CEO of New Can Factory, delivered a keynote on POSM visual strategy as the next competitive battleground for snack foods. Her insights sparked lively discussions among manufacturers and distributors on how to enhance offline sales through effective POSM design.
何璐伊Lu Xiuqiong: Navigating Cycles, Accelerating Omnichannel Growth
After a decade of rapid growth, FMCG companies face new challenges as investors tighten funds and once-brilliant brands struggle. At the 9th China FMCG Innovation Conference themed 'Supply Chain Revolution' held in Chengdu from March 14-16, Lu Xiuqiong, Global Expert Partner at Bain & Company, shared insights on 'Navigating Cycles, Accelerating Omnichannel Growth,' sparking lively discussions among attendees.
鲁秀琼Three Key Factors: Why Waima Wine Delivery Attracts Entrepreneurs
Meituan's Waima Wine Delivery, piloted in June 2021, now covers over 40 cities across six provinces and has opened more than 400 stores nationwide. In 2023, its transaction volume grew 600% year-on-year. Behind this impressive data, New Distribution believes the core question is: why has Waima been able to open so many stores and achieve such rapid growth? The answer may be seen from Waima's partner merchants.
周群Chicecream: A Vertical Plunge
How long has it been since you last heard from Chicecream? When you do, it's always bad news. Over a mere 800,000 yuan, Chicecream and its founder Lin Sheng were restricted from high consumption, topping hot searches for two days. Since October last year, news of layoffs and unpaid wages has been constant, with the company being sued by suppliers and partners. Is the former 'Hermès of ice cream' really about to fall?
陈碧婷Meituan Flash Warehouse Takes Root in Local Markets: Should Partners Join?
Last August, Meituan Flash Warehouse partnered with New Distribution to host a study tour in Guangzhou, giving some partners a clear understanding of the flash warehouse business model. Since then, we have received more inquiries from partners about this model. They want to know: how big is the growth potential for Meituan Flash Warehouse? Over the past few years, Meituan Flash Warehouse has grown by leaps and bounds. At the 2024 Meituan Flash Warehouse Ecosystem Conference held in Wuhan in January, data showed that the number of warehouses grew from just over 600 in 2021 to over 6,000 in 2023, with daily orders exceeding 2 million.
周群Opening Over 400 Stores in Two Years: How Waima Songjiu 'Shakes Up' the Instant Retail Track for Alcoholic Beverages
By precisely grasping consumer demand, Waima Songjiu drives new growth in instant retail for alcoholic beverages. "I just opened one in April this year, and my goal for 2024 is to see which cities Meituan opens for franchise next. I want to expand beyond Guangdong and open several more stores in other cities." This is the biggest business wish for 2024 of Boss Feng, who runs a Waima Songjiu business in Yingde, Guangdong. Waima Songjiu is Meituan's self-operated instant retail brand for alcoholic beverages, providing users with high-quality alcohol delivery in an average of 15 minutes through a model of "self-operated supply chain + front warehouses + self-owned delivery."
孟芸23 People, 100 Million in Sales! How to Successfully Transform from 0 to 1 in B2B within 3 Years?
The market is changing, and distributors must adapt. Facing current difficulties and challenges, if you remain stubborn and refuse to adapt to the times and market changes, it won't be your competitors that defeat you, but your own conservatism. Recently, regarding the topic '2024 will be the last window for traditional distributors to transform to B2B,' we invited Luo Kai, General Manager of Luoyang Hecai Trading Co., Ltd., to the Li Feng New Distribution live stream to discuss the path of traditional distributors transforming to B2B. First, let's briefly introduce Luoyang Hecai Trading. Founded in 2006...
李锋、罗凯Online and Offline Chinese New Year Stock-Up Review: Nuts Are the Most Sought-After, Almond Milk Grows Fast
The Spring Festival is the last major battle for brands, especially with the later Chinese New Year in February this year, extending the festive shopping period. This year's CNY sales war is unique: online e-commerce lacks momentum, making it hard to grow GMV without heavy spending, while offline promotions often involve price cuts, larger packs, or bundled deals. These trends reflect lower consumer expectations. Many brands faced distributor clearance sales from early January, with gifting demand notably weak. However, some categories showed strong growth, such as small indulgences offering value for money. Few analyze the CNY shopping festival, but as the most important gifting occasion for Chinese people, it reveals shifts in consumer demand and which categories and brands have strong channel capabilities.
沥金