21世纪经济报道·2025-08-09 00:35Core Viewpoint - The competition in the hard discount supermarket sector is intensifying as major players like JD, Meituan, and Hema accelerate their expansion efforts, driven by consumer demand for high cost-performance products [1][3][5]. Group 1: Market Dynamics - JD plans to open five discount supermarkets in Jiangsu and Hebei by August, with the first store in Zhuozhou covering 5,000 square meters [1]. - Meituan's "Happy Monkey" supermarket aims to open ten stores by 2025, with a long-term goal of 1,000 locations, focusing on major cities [1]. - Hema's discount brand, Hema NB, has nearly 300 stores, primarily in East China, showcasing the rapid growth of this retail format [1][3]. Group 2: Competitive Landscape - Traditional supermarket giants like Wumart and specialized players such as Aoleqi and Le'erle are also competing fiercely in the hard discount space [1]. - The hard discount supermarket model is gaining traction due to its focus on low prices, but success hinges on offering high cost-performance products rather than just low prices [1][3]. Group 3: Growth Potential - According to Nielsen IQ, global discount product sales are projected to increase by $6.11 billion in 2024, indicating a robust growth trajectory for the hard discount retail channel [2]. - The hard discount supermarket sector in China is experiencing rapid development, with a growth rate of 8.2%, making it the third fastest-growing retail channel in the past year [3]. Group 4: Operational Strategies - Hard discount supermarkets like Wumart's "Wumart Super Value" and Hema NB are optimizing their supply chains and reducing SKU counts to maintain low prices [3][4]. - Wumart's "Wumart Super Value" stores have around 1,300 SKUs, significantly lower than traditional supermarkets, with over 60% of products being private label [3][4]. Group 5: Challenges and Considerations - Despite the aggressive expansion, the success of hard discount supermarkets is not guaranteed, as evidenced by past failures like Biede, which struggled with operational management [6]. - Industry experts emphasize the need for companies to enhance their decision-making capabilities and explore differentiated products to avoid homogenization in the market [6][7].