Educated shoppers have more choices when shopping for groceries
High-quality growth, the most talked about during the two meetings, will continue China’s new development direction. As a bellwether city, Shanghai plays an exemplary role in showing the growth of high quality, and here are the things we see in different areas of our lives.
Dong Joon / SHINE
A Costco employee talks to customers in line during the opening day of the Pudong store on March 10.
Paying for a supermarket purchase, let alone paying for two membership plans at the same time, can seem like a waste of money. However, many are willing to pay and they have made it fashionable.
Shanghai-based consultant Chen Xiaoyi, who compares the prices and products of Costco and Alibaba’s Freshippo grocery chain, thinks it’s a good idea to shop at the two stores with different plans.
“Costco has more imported and Western-style cooking materials, while I prefer pre-prepared foods and local seasonal foods at Freshippo,” he explained.
He didn’t hesitate to pay 199 yuan (US$28) for a year’s membership after learning that the Pudong Costco was a 20-minute drive from his home.
“Costco has over a dozen cheeses to choose from, and Freshippo has a great selection of Chinese food, fast food, and pre-packaged foods,” he explained.
It offered a special discount of 100 yuan from the initial payment of 299 yuan before the new opening.
On the first day of the new store’s opening, he spent about 1,800 yuan when discounts were offered on salmon, bakery products and other new foods.
Shoppers are naturally more discerning when it comes to deciding where to buy groceries and what types to buy at certain stores.
Ti Gong
Last Friday, the opening day of the Costco Pudong store shows a shopper made a purchase. Discounts were given to salmon, beef and bakeries.
Despite not having the delivery service now required by all major retailers like RT Mart, Walmart and Metro, the store remains attractive to those looking for new products and ways to save money on groceries.
Opened in 2019, the Minhang store ranked among the top 10 Costco stores in over 800 locations worldwide by average purchase amount.
Richard Chang, senior vice president of Costco Asia, believes the Shanghai market is now ready to spend on products that “catch up with mature and developed markets” and provide good value for money.
Shanghai is the only city in the country with two Costco stores, as well as dozens of supermarkets with Sam’s Club, Freshippo and Metro memberships.
Dong Joon / SHINE
The Pudong store has a wide selection of Kirkland products from Costco’s house brand. The new supermarket attracted many people because of its new products and value for money.
In the State Council’s work report at the last meeting of the National People’s Congress, the promotion of domestic consumption and the expansion of lifestyle services are priorities.
As the pandemic subsides, consumers are rethinking their grocery shopping plans and retailers are revamping their offerings.
Strong consumer sentiment and willingness to spend on food and consumer goods is supported by multinational and local retailers. Walmart’s Sam’s Club accelerated its expansion in China last year, opening six new locations, the largest since the company entered the country more than two decades ago.
On the domestic supply side, local supermarket chains are expanding their links with fresh agricultural products to differentiate themselves from retailers selling imported goods.
To ensure delivery to the local market, Shanghai encourages online retailers to expand cooperation with agricultural product databases.
Last year, special campaigns were launched to help promote local agricultural products and strengthen relationships with growers and distributors.
Ti Gong
Walmart’s Sam’s Club accelerated its expansion in China last year, opening six new locations, the largest since the company first entered the country more than two decades ago.
According to the Shanghai Agricultural Commission, by 2025, a foundation for the development of high-quality agriculture will be established in Shanghai, and several intelligent vegetable and fruit gardens will be established to promote intelligent agricultural production bases.
New models have emerged to connect with local businesses.
Meituan has partnered with farmer cooperatives in Qingpu District to diversify its supply of spring seasonal fresh agricultural products.
It added about a third more seasonal spring vegetables than last year, and more than doubled sales of popular varieties like goji leaves and beans.
According to Zhu Hongfang, a research fellow at the Horticulture Research Institute of Shanghai Academy, transporting and delivering vegetables from suburban farms to warehouses at supermarkets and delivery points can keep them as fresh as possible while reducing waste from transportation. Agricultural sciences.
Freshippo will add 11 agricultural bases in eight cities in the Pudong New Area over the next two years, which will source directly from local growers and implement smart supply chain facilities.
Seeding, growing and crop protection processes will follow strict protocols to meet the supply and distribution requirements of the food chain.
Ti Gong
Shanghai’s latest five-year plan encourages digital retailers to strengthen ties with local suppliers and promote intelligent agricultural production bases.