The Chinese retail market is growing every year: the country is rapidly being covered by thousands of stores and department stores. Today, let’s get acquainted with the largest Chinese retail chains.
Scale of Chinese Retail Trade
According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, retail sales in the country rose by 10.2% in 2017, reaching 32.7 trillion yuan ($4.5 trillion). Retail sales in China are also 5.7, 6.1, and 8.3 percentage points higher than in the USA, the European Union, and Japan, respectively. As of early 2018, China had more than 19.38 million retail stores—annual growth of 7.4%.
The total sales volume of the 100 largest retail chains in China in 2017 reached 6.1 trillion yuan ($805 billion), an increase of 26% year-over-year. These top 100 retailers accounted for 16.6% of the country’s total retail sales. Another important indicator of retail development in China is the growth in the number of retail stores in rural areas. In 2017, retail sales in China’s rural regions increased by 39.1% to more than 1.2 trillion yuan ($174 billion).
The Largest Retail Chains in China
Sun Art Retail Group (高鑫零售) operates 461 large hypermarkets in China with a total area of about 12.4 million square meters. The company’s revenue in 2017 was more than $14.3 billion. Sun Art Retail Group’s shareholders include three major retailers: Groupe Auchan (36%), Alibaba Group (36%), and Ruentex Group (4.6%). Market share: 6.9%.
Vanguard Group (华润万家有限公司) is the third-largest hypermarket chain in China. By the end of 2017, the company owned 4,866 stores in Hong Kong and mainland China. Network revenue in 2017 was 152.1 billion yuan ($21.2 billion). In November 2018, Vanguard Group received six awards, including the “2018 Retail Innovation Award.” Market share: 6.5%.
Walmart entered China as early as 1996, opening its first supermarket in Shenzhen, the economic center neighboring Hong Kong. Today, Walmart China owns 424 supermarkets in the country. In 2017, Walmart’s global revenue was $496.9 billion, and sales in China grew by 5.4%. Market share: 5.7%.
Yonghui Group (永辉超市) is one of the largest retail chains in southern China. By the end of 2017, Yonghui Group had opened 805 stores in 21 provinces. The company’s revenues in 2017 amounted to 58.6 billion yuan ($8.2 billion). The company actively cooperates with Chinese farmers, making it famous for supplying natural organic products to its supermarkets. Market share: 3.7%.
Carrefour—the world’s second most visited supermarket chain—entered mainland China in 1995, after already opening stores in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Carrefour now operates 220 hypermarkets and 39 convenience stores in mainland China. In 2017, Carrefour’s sales in China totaled $5.2 billion. In May 2018, in Shanghai, Carrefour opened a new-format store—Carrefour Le Marche, a smart store with a French accent focusing on catering and fresh imported products. Market share: 3.1%.
Scale of Chinese Retail Trade
According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, retail sales in the country rose by 10.2% in 2017, reaching 32.7 trillion yuan ($4.5 trillion). Retail sales in China are also 5.7, 6.1, and 8.3 percentage points higher than in the USA, the European Union, and Japan, respectively. As of early 2018, China had more than 19.38 million retail stores—annual growth of 7.4%.
The total sales volume of the 100 largest retail chains in China in 2017 reached 6.1 trillion yuan ($805 billion), an increase of 26% year-over-year. These top 100 retailers accounted for 16.6% of the country’s total retail sales. Another important indicator of retail development in China is the growth in the number of retail stores in rural areas. In 2017, retail sales in China’s rural regions increased by 39.1% to more than 1.2 trillion yuan ($174 billion).
The Largest Retail Chains in China
Sun Art Retail Group (高鑫零售) operates 461 large hypermarkets in China with a total area of about 12.4 million square meters. The company’s revenue in 2017 was more than $14.3 billion. Sun Art Retail Group’s shareholders include three major retailers: Groupe Auchan (36%), Alibaba Group (36%), and Ruentex Group (4.6%). Market share: 6.9%.
Vanguard Group (华润万家有限公司) is the third-largest hypermarket chain in China. By the end of 2017, the company owned 4,866 stores in Hong Kong and mainland China. Network revenue in 2017 was 152.1 billion yuan ($21.2 billion). In November 2018, Vanguard Group received six awards, including the “2018 Retail Innovation Award.” Market share: 6.5%.
Walmart entered China as early as 1996, opening its first supermarket in Shenzhen, the economic center neighboring Hong Kong. Today, Walmart China owns 424 supermarkets in the country. In 2017, Walmart’s global revenue was $496.9 billion, and sales in China grew by 5.4%. Market share: 5.7%.
Yonghui Group (永辉超市) is one of the largest retail chains in southern China. By the end of 2017, Yonghui Group had opened 805 stores in 21 provinces. The company’s revenues in 2017 amounted to 58.6 billion yuan ($8.2 billion). The company actively cooperates with Chinese farmers, making it famous for supplying natural organic products to its supermarkets. Market share: 3.7%.
Carrefour—the world’s second most visited supermarket chain—entered mainland China in 1995, after already opening stores in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Carrefour now operates 220 hypermarkets and 39 convenience stores in mainland China. In 2017, Carrefour’s sales in China totaled $5.2 billion. In May 2018, in Shanghai, Carrefour opened a new-format store—Carrefour Le Marche, a smart store with a French accent focusing on catering and fresh imported products. Market share: 3.1%.
