周大福、周大生们迎零售大变局

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the mixed performance of gold retail companies amid rising gold prices, highlighting both growth in retail values and ongoing challenges with franchise store closures [1][4]. Group 1: Financial Performance - Several gold jewelry brands reported positive retail value growth in Q3, with Chow Tai Fook's retail value increasing by 4.1%, Luk Fook's overall retail value rising by 18%, and Zhou Dasheng's net profit growing by 13.57% [1][4]. - Despite the growth, the "store closure wave" continues, particularly affecting franchise stores, with Chow Tai Fook closing 296 stores and Luk Fook closing 49 stores in Q3 [1][4]. Group 2: Factors Supporting Growth - Three main factors contributed to the retail value growth: high gold prices leading to increased average transaction values, a higher proportion of priced products sold, and strong growth in e-commerce channels [4][6]. - In Q3, Chow Tai Fook's same-store sales in mainland China grew by 7.6%, while same-store sales volume decreased by 8.6%, indicating a shift towards higher-priced products [4][6]. Group 3: E-commerce Performance - E-commerce channels showed significant growth, with Chow Tai Fook's e-commerce retail value increasing by 28.1% in Q3, contributing 6.7% to total retail value and 15.5% to sales volume [6]. - Luk Fook also reported that its retail value in mainland China rose by 20%, driven primarily by e-commerce business [6]. Group 4: Franchise Model Challenges - The franchise model, which allowed rapid expansion of store networks, is now facing challenges as many franchise stores are underperforming and closing [8][9]. - As of September 30, Chow Tai Fook had 6,041 stores globally, with over 4,000 being franchise stores, while Zhou Dasheng had 4,675 stores, with 4,275 being franchises [8]. Group 5: Shift to Self-operated Stores - Despite the reduction in franchise stores, self-operated stores are increasing, with Zhou Dasheng opening 47 self-operated stores in the first nine months of the year [9]. - The gross profit margin for self-operated stores is higher than that of franchise stores, indicating a potential shift in strategy towards more self-operated outlets [9].