NEW DISTRIBUTION RESEARCH TOPIC
How is instant retail changing stores, platforms, and supply chains?
Coverage of flash warehouses, front warehouses, discount stores, supermarket transformation, and local commerce platforms in China.
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2996 articles · Page 17 of 125
Under the Supermarket 'Bare Price Direct Sourcing' Storm, What Should the Cut-Off Distributors Do?
In March, Yonghui Supermarket's acting CEO Ye Guofu announced a 'bare price direct sourcing' strategy, eliminating intermediaries, which has shocked FMCG distributors. This move, along with the rise of private labels, is forcing traditional distributors to transform or face elimination.
关关Beyond ALDI: How Lidl Became the World's Largest Hard Discount Chain
At the 2025 China Supermarket Week, Jiang Shijia, head of Lianshang.com's overseas center, shared insights on Lidl's success as the world's largest hard discount retailer. Lidl's model focuses on high quality at low prices, efficient operations, and a strong private label strategy, offering lessons for Chinese retailers.
联商网编辑部Freshippo Goes Downmarket, NB Targets East China: Hema Abandons Benchmarking Against Sam's Club
If last year's keyword for traditional supermarkets was 'adjustment and reform,' then for new retail supermarket Hema, it was definitely 'profitability.' Compared to the 'borrowed' approach of adjustment, Hema's innovation is undoubtedly worth learning from for many traditional retailers. In March last year, Hema changed its leadership, with new CEO Yan Xiaolei taking office. On December 31 of the same year, Yan Xiaolei sent an internal letter to all staff stating that over the past year, Hema achieved double-digit growth on the basis of nine consecutive months of overall profitability, with customer numbers growing by over 50%. The letter also clearly indicated Hema's future development direction—focusing on Hema Freshippo and Hema NB, with the former replicating the successful model and the latter refining the advanced model.
汪海Costco China Takes a Different Path in E-commerce
In April 2025, Costco announced same-city delivery across all its Chinese mainland store cities, promising delivery within 90 minutes in main urban areas. Unlike Sam's Club, Costco has not adopted a model with front warehouses, instead using a 'store-warehouse integration' approach and transparent delivery fees, reflecting a cautious and operationally pragmatic strategy.
零售氪星球After a Month of Deliberation, 8 Personal Suggestions for Yonghui Superstores' Transformation
In 2024, the Pangdonglai team assisted Hunan Better Life in its transformation, resulting in a 5.6-fold increase in average daily sales and a threefold increase in customer traffic across 13 stores. During that year, Better Life closed 74 underperforming stores and retained 59 quality ones, achieving profitability through strategic focus, regional advantages, and organizational, supply chain, and product optimizations. Yonghui Superstores, also assisted by Pangdonglai, adopted a similar strategy in 2025: closing many inefficient or loss-making stores and accelerating transformation. This article offers eight personal suggestions for Yonghui's transformation from a third-party perspective.
王正齐How Chinese Sunflower Seeds and Spicy Strips Are Winning Over 670 Million Stomachs
In 2023, Thailand's per capita annual snack consumption reached 10.52 kg, equivalent to about 161 bags of Lay's potato chips (65g each), meaning Thai consumers ate a bag every two days. With a young population and growing purchasing power, Southeast Asia's snack market is booming, attracting Chinese snack brands to expand overseas.
唐飞Two Main Lines Will Profoundly Impact China's Retail Transformation
The rapid changes in today's retail market are undoubtedly causing significant concern among many brand owners, as directly observed in our communications with numerous leading brands. I have always believed that the Chinese market, unlike North America, is a typical society where 'channels' outweigh 'brands.' Whether it's the early supermarket brands, Taobao brands, Douyin brands, or the current snack bulk-selling brands, many brands are homogeneous, and the difference among them is merely who laid out an incremental channel first. Strong channels creating brands is a common occurrence. Combined with the recent market narrative that retail will undergo 'full discounting,' this has intensified anxiety and confusion among frontline brand operators.
戚特B2b Transformation: The Pitfalls and the Paths
In recent years, transforming to B2b has become a hot topic, mainly because many distributors face increasing challenges in their operations, forcing them to reassess and adjust their business models. These challenges include shrinking supermarket channels, the impact of new retail formats, high returns with low profits, difficult payment collections, sluggish growth, and inventory backlog, all of which are pushing distributors to transform. B2b offers a relatively clear and structured path, drawing widespread attention. On March 19, 2025, at the 10th China FMCG Innovation Conference and the 4th China FMCG Distributor Conference hosted by New Distribution, Mr. Liu Peng, Dean of the Business School of Chengdu Laiken Information Technology Co., Ltd. and Deputy General Manager of Operations at Chengdu Qilian Technology Co., Ltd., delivered a keynote speech titled "B2b Transformation: The Pitfalls and the Paths," which resonated deeply with many manufacturers and distributors present, sparking lively discussion. New Distribution is pleased to share the highlights of his speech with our readers.
刘朋Taocaicai Exits, the Endgame for Community Group Buying?
Taocaicai, Alibaba's community group buying platform, has quietly replaced its next-day pickup service with a delivery-by-courier model, signaling a full retreat from the sector. This move reflects the broader struggles of the industry, as platforms like Meituan and Pinduoduo also scale back, leaving suppliers and group leaders facing mounting pressures.
十里Three Keywords for the Future of Instant Retail: Co-Integration, Demand-Pull Supply, and Supply Determined by Demand
From the exploration of Taoxianda's one-hour delivery business in March 2018, to the entry of platforms like Meituan, Ele.me, and JD.com, and to the emergence of various new models today, the instant retail industry has gone through seven years of development. In Chinese traditional culture, the number 'seven' is full of mystical significance, and 'when it reaches seven, change is inevitable.' Looking back at these seven years, from the initial growth of new channels, to deep connections with brand owners, retailers, and distributors, and to today's scenario-based marketing, instant retail has continuously iterated and innovated, gradually becoming an all-encompassing 'marketing + sales' new ecosystem.
贝念军Lawson 'Adjusts' Mom-and-Pop Stores
Lawson is targeting mom-and-pop stores with its new 'Lawson Xiaozhan' format in Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guangdong, offering lower franchise thresholds and full gross profit retention to attract small retailers. This move aims to accelerate expansion into lower-tier markets, but faces challenges from policy restrictions, supply chain integration, and operational control.
十里Reforming Yonghui: Will Ye Guofu Replicate Pangdonglai Across China?
In 2024, Ye Guofu was named one of Forbes China's Best CEOs, alongside Lei Jun. Under his leadership, Miniso went public in the US in 2020 and Hong Kong in 2022, with 2024 revenue reaching 17 billion yuan. In September 2024, Miniso acquired a 29.4% stake in Yonghui Superstores for 6.27 billion yuan, making Ye the reform leader. He plans to replicate Pangdonglai's model, aiming to renovate 200 stores in 2025 and incubate 100 super single products worth 100 million yuan each within three years.
王冲和Annual Sales of 2.5 Billion, Covering 23,000 Small Stores, 4,000 SKUs: The Correct Logic for B2b Platforms
Caihua Trading (Yueheji), a B2b supply chain platform, achieves annual sales of 2.5 billion yuan, serving over 23,000 small stores with 4,000 SKUs. Instead of price wars, it empowers small stores by curating products and creating display scenarios to help them sell more.
袁来How to Seek Breakthroughs Amidst a Once-in-Thirty-Years Retail Generational Shift?
A once-in-thirty-years retail generational shift has arrived. How can traditional channels transform? How can manufacturers and distributors seize the dividends of category restructuring? At the 10th China FMCG Conference, Zhang Xinzhao, founding partner of Qicheng Capital, systematically dissected the paradigm shift in the retail industry from 'supply-driven' to 'demand-driven' from an investment perspective, and proposed breakthrough paths for the next decade. New Distribution has distilled Mr. Zhang's core viewpoints into this article for our readers (with some deletions).
张鑫钊Channel Evolution: 1919's Exploration of Instant Retail and Scenario Innovation in the Alcohol Industry
At the 10th China FMCG Innovation Conference held in Chengdu from March 17-19, Chen Cheng, General Manager of 1919's Data Marketing Division and also in charge of its Instant Retail and Traditional E-commerce divisions, delivered a keynote speech on channel evolution, instant retail, and scenario innovation. He shared insights from 1919's journey, including the development of its '1919 Quick Drink' cloud chain brand, the shift from traffic to customer retention, and strategies for digital transformation and operational refinement.
陈承County-Town Hema Stores Become a 'Filial Piety Standard' for Young Shoppers
During the Spring Festival, a Xiaohongshu user from Zhuji, Zhejiang, marveled at the popularity of Hema in her county town, noting that the store couldn't restock fast enough. Many county-town Hema stores are experiencing similar success, with some opening early on Chinese New Year's Eve to accommodate crowds. This trend highlights the growing appeal of Hema in lower-tier markets, particularly in the Yangtze River Delta.
DT商业观察Ren Wenqing of New Distribution: The 'Label Dividend' of Hard Discounts Is Gone
On March 18, 2025, the 4th China FMCG Hard Discount Conference was held in Chengdu, where Ren Wenqing, CEO of New Distribution, delivered a keynote speech. This article is based on that speech. In the past six months, several events in the discount retail sector have drawn attention, including Three Squirrels acquiring two discount retail companies, leading snack chains launching 'money-saving supermarkets,' and Hema NB opening over 200 stores in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. These events signal that discount retail has moved beyond its early stage, with mainstream players finding their paths and more entering the field. Ren shares seven viewpoints, emphasizing that the 'label dividend' of hard discounts is over, urging a return to market logic, and highlighting the ongoing reconstruction of FMCG distribution order.
任文青AndyYonghui's Removal of 'Middlemen': A Microcosm of Traditional Retail's Farewell to an Era
At Yonghui's shareholders' meeting on March 17, Miniso's chairman Ye Guofu led the reform as head of the reform leadership group, proposing 'three major changes' and 'three improvements and two reductions,' signaling that Yonghui's adjustment has entered deep waters. The supply chain reform explicitly aims to eliminate middlemen, promote net pricing, direct sourcing, and private label development to enhance Yonghui's product competitiveness. This move directly targets the biggest ills of traditional retail.
张振宇Industry News | First China FMCG 'Golden Cypress Award · Distributor Award' Winners Announced!
On February 13, 2025, New Distribution officially announced the first China FMCG 'Golden Cypress Award' selection. The awards include three major honors: Supply Chain Service Provider, Digital Service Provider, and Distributor. The winners were revealed at the 10th China FMCG Innovation Conference and related events held from March 17 to 19, 2025. Among them, 12 companies won the Distributor Award.
New DistributionPremium Supermarkets' 'Wave of Store Closures'?
Premium supermarkets are facing a wave of store closures. In early March, the blt supermarket at Tianjin Joy City, operated by China Resources Vanguard, closed after 16 years, sparking industry-wide attention. This reflects broader challenges for high-end supermarkets in China, as consumer preferences shift toward value-for-money and competition intensifies.
十里How POSM Must Adapt to New Retail Formats
Sam's Club, snack discount stores, Walmart, Freshippo, and Pangdonglai show that point-of-sale materials must match a channel's position between extreme efficiency and immersive experience.
New DistributionThe Retail Market Is Indeed Changing, but Full Discounting Is a Simplistic Misreading
In recent years, wholesale supermarkets have sprung up like mushrooms, and the term 'hard discount' has evolved from a 'foreign import' and a 'retail model' into a widely adopted concept, becoming a deeply ingrained 'trend' where everything seems to be hard discountable. Some even argue that the market will move toward full discounting. Consequently, traditional retailers are considering whether to enter the discount store business, while brand owners worry about the future of distribution channels and whether small brands will become OEMs for discount channels. This article aims to clarify the ongoing changes in the retail market to help stakeholders better anticipate and prepare for future shifts.
戚特Four Years of Losses Totaling 10 Billion Yuan: Yonghui Faces a Critical Moment
At the start of 2025, Yonghui Superstores implemented a new organizational structure, announced the first batch of 20 store renovations for the Year of the Snake, and piloted 24-hour delivery in Fuzhou. Despite these efforts, the company has suffered cumulative losses of nearly 10 billion yuan over four years, with cash reserves dwindling, and faces a critical juncture as it navigates the challenges of its transformation and potential leadership changes.
蒙嘉怡Costco Pressures Suppliers to Cut Prices
For Costco, how to complete the transformation from 'global sourcing' to 'regional synergy' while adhering to the 'members first' philosophy will be key to its survival in the Chinese market. A recent Financial Times report revealed that Costco is asking Chinese suppliers to lower prices to offset the tariff costs imposed by the Trump administration. This move coincides with Walmart being summoned by China's Ministry of Commerce for similar behavior, and when tariffs shift from political decisions to corporate costs, and supply chain resilience becomes a competitive barrier, the outcome of this zero-sum game across the Pacific may determine the direction of the global retail industry for decades to come.
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