Reporter Lou Kai
“I used to come here often to buy things, but I didn’t come for a month, and when I came back, it was closed.” On July 29, a citizen Zhang The lady passed by the Convenience Bee Pearl International Business Port store. She wanted to buy a bottle of water, but she couldn’t.
It is not uncommon for convenience stores to close soon after opening. For more than a year, Jinan’s convenience stores have been undergoing adjustments while expanding rapidly.
7-11 first store opened for one year
closed in April
“ If you want to enter the store on the day of opening, you have to squeeze, and you need to grab a dessert to buy a dessert.” Mr. Zong, a citizen of Jinan, still remembers the scene when Jinan’s first 7-ELEVEn (hereinafter referred to as 7-11) opened in April last year. In order to see what good things are in this convenience store for the first time, he deliberately went to join in the fun on the opening day.
On that day, the turnover of this small convenience store reached 340,924 yuan. However, a year later, the convenience store was empty. On the morning of August 2, the reporter saw in Honglou Square that two workers were carrying out renovations. “The previous store was withdrawn at the end of April,” a staff member told reporters. The reporter called the 7-11 franchise number to inquire about the reason for the closure of the store. The operator said that the reason why the store was closed was because there was no tobacco monopoly license.
In addition to 7-11, many Bianyifeng stores are closed. On August 2, the reporter saw at the Convenience Bee Pearl International Business Port store that the billboard of “Convenience Bee” above the gate had been removed, leaving only the sign of “24H, Convenience Store”, and the shelves and goods in the store had been emptied. , the store is currently renting out.
In less than one kilometer to the west of this store, there is also a convenience bee Faxiang No. 1 mansion store. Stores have also closed. “It will be closed in April this year,” a security guard told reporters.
The reporter learned from the official website of Convenience Bee that there are 105 stores in Jinan. On the official applet, there are already dozens of convenience bee stores in a state of “resting”. Taking the neighborhood of Meilian Plaza as an example, among the 29 stores displayed, only 13 are still open.
Chain convenience stores gather together
The same brand stores are less than 100 meters apart< /strong>
In the past two years, Jinan citizens can clearly feel that there are more convenience stores around them, from a new thing to an old friend in life, and these old friends often like to get together .
Chengzi Convenience Bank of China Building and Orange Convenience Greentown Financial Center Store on the south side of Luoyuan Street are less than 100 meters apart, and the products they sell are not very different. “Let’s see which one is nearest,” said Mr. Zhang, a citizen.
On the afternoon of the 2nd, at the 7-11 Jinan Women’s and Children’s Hospital store, many customers were shopping there. Go straight north for about 300 meters, and there is another 7-ELEVEN Jingqi Road Shandong Digital Industry Building store on the south side of Jingqi Road. “I was a little surprised to see the two convenience stores being so close together before,” said Ms. Liu, a citizen. Later, she found that both stores were doing well. “Although the distance is close, the guests should be different.”
Convenience Fengxiangtai Plaza Building 1 is open 24 hours a day. According to the clerk, their breakfast sells better. A customer told reporters that although the prices of the products in this store are higher than that of ordinary supermarkets, he still comes to consume from time to time. This convenience bee is five steps north, and there is an orange convenience store, which is also open 24 hours a day.
Development has slowed down
Layout intent is still strong
On one side is rapid expansion, On the one hand, a large number of stores are closed. Why does this happen to convenience stores in Jinan? In this regard, Zhang Qing, an associate professor at the School of Business Administration of Shandong University of Finance and Economics, believes that convenience stores compete with storefronts on the surface, but in fact they compete with supply chains and logistics systems. In her opinion, if there is a problem with the supply and demand of a convenience store, it will affect the operation. “This year’s epidemic may cause problems in the supply chain and logistics system of convenience stores, causing some convenience stores to suspend business.”
According to industry analysts, compared with last year, the growth rate of convenience stores in Jinan has The core problem of the decline is the impact of the epidemic. In addition, the cost of rent, water, electricity, labor, and commodity waste is rising, but the profit point has not increased much, which limits the development of convenience stores.
Although the growth rate has slowed down, the intention of the convenience store layout in Jinan is still strong. According to industry insiders, although convenience bee has closed many stores, it plans to open nearly 100 more stores in Jinan this year. The staff of the 7-11 franchise hotline also said that 7-11 has opened 53 stores in Jinan, and plans to open 100 stores by the end of the year.
How can convenience stores develop better in Jinan? In this regard, Zhang Qing believes that the epidemic has stimulated online shopping andWith the rapid development of community group buying, the competitive advantage of offline convenience stores will become more and more difficult. “To develop well, convenience stores must combine online and offline digital development. The future convenience store market will gradually develop towards standardization, chaining, facilitation, branding, specialization, and intelligence.”