{"id":174998,"date":"2025-10-07T11:16:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T11:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/chinese-hypermarkets-are-facing-a-crisis-and-have-discovered-a-solution-adopting-the-mercadona-model\/"},"modified":"2025-10-07T11:16:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T11:16:13","slug":"chinese-hypermarkets-are-facing-a-crisis-and-have-discovered-a-solution-adopting-the-mercadona-model","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/chinese-hypermarkets-are-facing-a-crisis-and-have-discovered-a-solution-adopting-the-mercadona-model\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese hypermarkets are facing a crisis and have discovered a solution: adopting the Mercadona model."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2>The Decline of China&#8217;s Hypermarkets: A Changing Landscape<\/h2>\n<p>The \u00a0golden age\u00a0 of Chinese hypermarkets appears to be \u00a0diminishing\u00a0. As the economy hits the brakes, these retail giants are struggling to adapt and seeking innovative techniques to attract consumers who are becoming increasingly \u00a0price-conscious\u00a0. This \u00a0turbulent\u00a0 environment has prompted retailers to turn to models that have already proven successful in other regions, particularly the \u00a0mercadona model\u00a0 from Spain.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 1 --><\/p>\n<h2>What\u2019s Happening?<\/h2>\n<p>Major Chinese supermarkets are facing an uphill battle for survival. In recent years, \u00a0Carrefour\u00a0 shuttered over 140 stores, while \u00a0Tesco\u00a0 completely exited the market. Additionally, last year saw significant losses for key hypermarket players in China. As reported by <a rel=\"noopener, noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2024-07-30\/china-s-mega-grocers-turn-to-an-upstart-to-win-back-shoppers\" target=\"_blank\">Bloomberg<\/a>, a decelerating economy is compelling consumers to be more cautious with their expenditures, thereby leaving leading chains to shift their strategies dramatically.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 2 --><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-asset article-asset-normal article-asset-center\">\n<div class=\"desvio-container\">\n<div class=\"desvio\">\n<div class=\"desvio-figure js-desvio-figure\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>Image Source:<\/strong> Wikipedia<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>The Mercadona Model<\/h2>\n<p>Chinese hypermarkets are increasingly adopting elements from the \u00a0Mercadona model\u00a0, which emphasizes neighborhood stores and expanding their \u00a0private label offerings\u00a0. Traditionally, private labels were not a common feature in China, but they are now playing a more prominent role in supermarket aisles. Retailers are also reconsidering their store formats, opting for \u00a0smaller proximity stores\u00a0 that reduce the need for customers to travel considerable distances. This shift aligns with evolving consumer preferences, making shopping more convenient and accessible.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 3 --><\/p>\n<h2>Adapt or Die<\/h2>\n<p>The stagnation of large hypermarket formats has compelled Chinese chains to pivot towards \u00a0smaller formats\u00a0 and \u00a0private brands\u00a0. For example, Walmart has adjusted by introducing smaller store formats like \u00a0Carrefour Express\u00a0 and its \u00a0MarketSide brand\u00a0. Meanwhile, \u00a0Wumart Group\u00a0 has launched six discount stores in Beijing, while \u00a0Alibaba\u2019s FreeShyppo\u00a0 operates over 300 locations featuring their \u00a0chaopa brand\u00a0, where approximately 60% of products consist of private labels. This trend reflects consumers\u2019 growing desire for \u00a0affordability\u00a0 and \u00a0convenience\u00a0 in their shopping experiences.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 4 --><\/p>\n<h2>The Pangdonglai Case<\/h2>\n<p>One standout example in this evolving landscape is \u00a0Pangdonglai\u00a0, a supermarket chain in Henan that has garnered \u00a0viral success\u00a0. Its strategy revolves around exceptional \u00a0customer service\u00a0, treating employees well, and providing unique services like dog water stations and tailored purchase baskets. The cornerstone of its success is a \u00a030% profit margin\u00a0 that enables the brand to maintain lower prices consistently, without relying on limited-time promotions. Despite its inception in a smaller city, Pangdonglai\u2019s model is influencing larger chains like \u00a0Yonghui Superstores\u00a0 to revamp their operations in an effort to replicate this success.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 5 --><\/p>\n<h2>Challenges Ahead<\/h2>\n<p>The transition that China\u2019s hypermarkets are currently undergoing poses both opportunities and challenges. While smaller formats and private labels could attract a more \u00a0budget-conscious\u00a0 consumer base, the \u00a0competition\u00a0 remains fierce. Established global brands, with their \u00a0bargain strategies\u00a0, are poised to seize market share at a time when \u00a0online shopping\u00a0 continues to grow. The traditional hypermarket format is struggling to keep pace with these rapidly changing retail dynamics.<\/p>\n<h2>The Future of Grocery Shopping in China<\/h2>\n<p>As these retail giants navigate this changing landscape, it\u2019s clear that they must adapt their strategies to meet changing consumer expectations. Building a robust \u00a0omni-channel presence\u00a0 and improving the in-store experience will be crucial for attracting shoppers in today&#8217;s market. Embracing technology and data analytics for personalized marketing can create stronger \u00a0customer loyalty\u00a0 while encouraging repeat visits. It also remains vital for these businesses to keep an eye on regional trends and consumer preferences in order to stay relevant.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the \u00a0golden age\u00a0 of hypermarkets in China may be waning, but amid these challenges lie opportunities for greater innovation and consumer connection. Retailers who can effectively embrace these changes will not only survive but thrive in the \u00a0new normal\u00a0 of grocery shopping in China.<\/p>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/category\/general\/\" rel=\"dofollow\">General News &#8211; 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Decline of China&#8217;s Hypermarkets: A Changing Landscape The \u00a0golden age\u00a0 of Chinese hypermarkets appears to be \u00a0diminishing\u00a0. As the economy hits the brakes, these retail giants are struggling to adapt and seeking innovative techniques to attract consumers who are becoming increasingly \u00a0price-conscious\u00a0. This \u00a0turbulent\u00a0 environment has prompted retailers to turn to models that have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":174999,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[10374,2394,201,4180,14106,43327,37333,4732,1451],"class_list":["post-174998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-adopting","tag-chinese","tag-crisis","tag-discovered","tag-facing","tag-hypermarkets","tag-mercadona","tag-model","tag-solution"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174998\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}