Supermarket marketing

Author: Hu Yuling
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: The introduction of supermarkets to China began in the early 1980s. In 1981, Guangzhou Friendship Store pioneered China's first supermarket (later renamed "self-service supermarket"). Subsequently, supermarkets in China experienced phases of rise, decline, stagnation, and revival. It wasn't until 1991 that a truly modern supermarket was established in Shanghai, known as Shanghai Lianhua Supermarket. This book provides a detailed explanation of various supermarket marketing strategies, along with numerous case studies from both China and foreign markets. In 1930, the world's first supermarket was born in the United States, founded by American entrepreneur Winkler Kussin. Although the U.S. was in the midst of an economic crisis at the time, the supermarket achieved massive success due to its significant breakthrough in low prices and freeing consumers from the pressure of aggressive sales tactics. Since its inception, supermarkets in the U.S. have competed with self-service, low margins, and low prices as their core strategies. Their pursuit of selling in large volumes with low profits starkly contrasts with traditional food and general merchandise stores, which rely on high profit margins. General customers are highly sensitive to the prices of food and daily necessities, especially those with high consumption rates and frequent purchases. Since supermarkets primarily sell such products, they hold a significant competitive advantage. Supermarkets were not the pioneers of self-service, but their rapid development has played a tremendous role in the retail industry. They save substantial labor costs, significantly reduce operating expenses, and to some extent ensure profitability even with low margins. At the same time, they also improve the shopping environment. The Chicago Supermarket Association defines a supermarket as: "A fully departmentalized food store with annual sales of at least $1 million and self-service sales in its food departments." Carrefour's market positioning is highly successful. It divides its target market into three segments: household consumer workday market, weekend and holiday market, and large-scale group consumption. The workday market targets employees of nearby companies and factories in commercial districts, offering convenient post-work shopping. For supermarkets in the evening...