2 1 Shi Ji Jing Ji Bao Dao·2025-09-27 00:06Core Insights - The retail landscape is evolving with the emergence of community stores, as exemplified by Walmart's recent opening of its fourth community store in Shenzhen, which features a compact layout and a curated selection of around 2,000 products [1][7]. Industry Trends - The community retail market is expanding, attracting major players like Alibaba, Meituan, JD.com, and Walmart, indicating a competitive environment as traditional large-format stores decline [2][6]. - The decline of traditional hypermarkets is highlighted by Carrefour's exit from the Chinese market, marking a significant shift in retail dynamics [3][4]. Market Data - The community retail market in China is projected to reach 4.8 trillion yuan in 2024, with an annual growth rate of 8.5%, and is expected to further grow to approximately 5.2 trillion yuan by 2025 [5]. Competitive Landscape - Walmart's community stores emphasize a "small, refined, and close" model, contrasting with the larger hypermarket format, focusing on high-frequency essential items [7][15]. - Other retailers, such as Zhongbai Group and Alibaba's Hema, are also rapidly expanding their community store formats, with Hema targeting nearly 300 stores by August 2025 [8][11]. Strategic Approaches - Walmart adopts a "full-channel" strategy, integrating community stores into its broader ecosystem to serve urban middle-class families [15]. - In contrast, Aldi and Meituan's "Happy Monkey" focus on hard discount strategies, emphasizing low prices from the outset to attract consumers [16][17]. Policy Support - Government initiatives, such as the "15-minute community living circle" planning guidelines, are facilitating the growth of community stores while constraining the viability of large hypermarkets [12][13].