Consumers shop at a Sam's Club outlet in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, in June. (XUE HAIFENG/FOR CHINA DAILY) In China's retail sector, both high-end membership clubs and value-driven discount stores are experiencing heightened popularity among urban consumers. The "2023 Top 100 Supermarkets in China" report from the China Chain Store &Franchise Association, released on July 23, revealed that the top 100 supermarket chains collectively generated 868 billion yuan ($121.
5 billion) in sales in 2023. This marks a year-on-year decline of 7.3 percent in sales.
Store numbers also fell 16.2 percent to now stand at some 23,800 outlets. Despite these declines, Walmart China retained its position at the top, with 2023 sales amounting to 120.
2 billion yuan, accounting for 14 percent of total revenue among the top 100 supermarket chains. Yonghui Superstores and RT-Mart (China) Investment Co Ltd followed, securing the second and third positions. The report highlighted a notable uptick in sales and store counts for membership and discount retailers in first and second-tier cities.
Membership-driven chains like Walmart Inc's Sam's Club, Costco and Fudi have shown significant growth. Meanwhile, of the top 100 supermarket chains, 44 reported year-on-year sales increases, with 27 stores located in lower-tier, or smaller cities, including Dazhang Group from Henan province, Xinyulou from Hebei province and Beauty Group from Northeast China. In terms of store numbers, 33 chains expanded their footpr.