智通财经网·2026-01-07 01:33Core Viewpoint - The rapid development of China's snack retail industry is projected to see store numbers double by 2024 and grow over 30% to 42,000 and 56,000 stores by 2025, with industry sales expected to exceed 220 billion yuan by 2025. The competition is expected to intensify in 2024, but ease in 2025, with a significant focus on store expansion and price wars among leading companies [1]. Group 1: Store Expansion - The snack retail industry has significant room for expansion, with leading companies continuing to open new stores. The estimated number of stores is expected to double to 42,000 in 2024 and further expand to 56,000 by the end of 2025, although the growth rate will slow down. Based on saturation levels in Hunan province and other demographic factors, the industry could potentially expand to 70,000 to 80,000 stores, indicating over 30% expansion potential [1]. - The industry is experiencing a concentration trend, with the top two companies currently holding 71% of the market share, which is expected to rise to over 80%, indicating that there is still over 50% room for new store openings [1]. Group 2: Competition - In 2024, competition in the snack retail industry is expected to intensify, with leading companies employing various subsidies to accelerate store openings and capture market share. Following the intense price wars of 2024, a dual-leader competitive landscape has emerged, leading to a significant improvement in competition by 2025, with a notable reduction in store opening subsidies [2]. - The era of price competition is considered over, with future competition likely to focus on brand strength, product assortment, digital operations, and private label products [2]. Group 3: Store Efficiency - Despite a decline in single-store revenue due to increased store density, there are signs of improvement. In the first half of 2025, store sales are expected to drop by over 10%, extending the payback period for new stores from 1-2 years to 2-3 years. Companies are responding by diversifying product offerings, increasing store sizes, experimenting with discount supermarkets, and enhancing private label products to improve average transaction values [3]. - The expansion of non-food categories and optimization of product structures are ongoing, with leading companies showing signs of improvement in same-store sales in the second half of 2025, with a noticeable narrowing of the sales decline compared to the first half [3]. Group 4: Insights from BIM - BIM, a leading discount retailer in Turkey, has demonstrated robust store expansion through a limited SKU strategy, focusing on private label products, and efficient supply chain management. The company has maintained a high-value retail model, proving resilient in various economic conditions [4]. - The study of BIM suggests that adapting to consumer demands for variety and quality is crucial, necessitating SKU optimization and store renovations to support same-store sales. BIM has successfully expanded its SKU count from 600 to 900, while also introducing new store formats to meet diverse consumer needs [4]. - As purchasing volumes increase, discount retailers may find it reasonable to establish their own production and processing supply chains for better cost and quality control. BIM has entered upstream manufacturing, enhancing its private label product offerings [5][6].