“Convenience stores are one of the few offline channels that performed well even in the pandemic period. Store numbers have more than doubled in the last five years, especially in lower tier cities. Gaps between major domestic and Japanese brands are narrowing down. Besides unique products, private labels and membership strategies play important roles in differentiation and improving customer loyalty. Most Chinese consumers no longer consider convenience stores only for the purpose of emergency purchases, but for inspiring shopping experiences with practical community-friendly services as well. Adding local identity and IP collaboration also helps to boost brand popularity through in-store engagement and social media communications.”
– Frank Zhang, Senior Analyst
This Report looks at the following areas:
- Shopping frequency and comparison between before and after COVID-19.
- Reasons and Interests and breakdown analysis of shopping behaviour.
- Purchase categories and timing including online purchase on-demand.
- Brand image and perception of important shopping drivers.
- Attitudes towards membership and consumer concerns.
- Preferable additional services and opportunities for business expansion.
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Covered in this Report
- Excluded
- Definition of convenience store in practice:
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- Issues and Insights
- A relaxing space to drop by and stay for a while
- Figure 1: Good Spot convenience store in Zhangzhou, Fujian, 2023
- A reliable and easily-accessible community hub
- Figure 2: Taiwan FamilyMart ‘0800 telling stories’, 2022
- An inspiring place to explore with curiosity
- Figure 3: LAWSON IP Buy WeChat Mini Program Screenshot, 2023
- The Market Summary
- Convenience store sales continue to outpace overall retail
- Convenience store leaders expand nationwide at a rapid pace
- Online-merge-offline retailing is reshaping the landscape of convenience stores
- Product and service differentiation in the spotlight
- What we think
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Market Size and Forecast
- Convenience store sales continue to outpace overall retail
- Figure 4: Convenience stores sales revenue (excluding petrol station convenience stores) and forecast, 2017-27
- Both demand and policy drive continued growth in the number of convenience stores
- Figure 5: Convenience store number (excluding petrol station convenience stores) and forecast, 2017-27
- Convenience store sales continue to outpace overall retail
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Market Factors
- Convenience store leaders expand nationwide at a rapid pace
- Figure 6: Store count and growth rate of MEIYIJIA and LAWSON, 2020 vs 2022
- Online-merge-offline retailing is reshaping the landscape of convenience stores
- Figure 7: JD Convenience Store, 2023
- Product and service differentiation in the spotlight
- Figure 8: Purchased freshly-made coffee channels, 2022
- In-store relaxation as an important feature of convenience stores
- Figure 9: 7-Eleven Shanghai Xuhui Binjiang store, 2023
- Social media boosts fun in convenience stores
- Figure 10: DIY food and drink tutorial for convenience stores on Xiaohongshu, 2023
- Unmanned convenience stores fading out, ‘human touch’ is irreplaceable
- Convenience store leaders expand nationwide at a rapid pace
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Who’s Innovating?
- New service helps convenience stores easily achieve 24-hour operation
- Figure 11: Bangke cloud-based watching service introduction and user interface screenshots, 2023
- Drug purchases in convenience store
- Figure 12: Convenient medicine cabinet in MEIYIJIA convenience store, 2022
- Self-service laundry model
- Figure 13: Changsha 7-Eleven x ifunwash store, 2022
- Simplified membership system of an annual fee and fixed discount
- Figure 14: Membership policy of FamilyMart, 2023
- Attracting gaming groups through IP collaboration
- Figure 15: LAWSON x Game for Peace, 2023
- Strengthening local identity by introducing local brand partnerships
- Figure 16: EGO x Guangmingcun Restaurant, 2023
- New service helps convenience stores easily achieve 24-hour operation
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Shopping Frequency
- Convenience store visiting frequency has returned to a pre-pandemic level
- Figure 17: Convenience store shopping frequency, 2019 vs 2023
- Lower tier cities see more frequent shoppers
- Figure 18: Convenience store shopping frequency – shop once a day or more, by city tier, 2023
- Increase of alternative channels might have impacted high-income visitation frequency in higher tier cities
- Figure 19: Convenience store shopping frequency – shop once a day or more, by city tier and monthly personal income, 2023
- Convenience store visiting frequency has returned to a pre-pandemic level
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Reasons and Interests
- Opportunities for ready-to-eat food and private label products
- Figure 20: Reasons and interests, 2023
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- Figure 21: Reasons and interests – ‘yes’, selected items, by gender and city tier, 2023
- Shopping environment and engagement more important for higher income consumers
- Figure 22: Reasons and interests – ‘yes’, selected items, by monthly personal income, 2023
- Membership system can efficiently encourage frequent visitors’ loyalty
- Figure 23: Reasons and interests – ‘yes’, selected items, by shopping frequency, 2023
- Opportunities for ready-to-eat food and private label products
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Purchase Categories and Timing
- Morning is the busiest times of day for convenience stores
- Figure 24: In-store products bought, by time period, 2023
- Higher income groups’ shopping list is more diverse
- Figure 25: In-store products bought, by monthly personal income, 2023
- Online deliver on-demand from convenience stores has become commonplace in all city tiers
- Figure 26: Order online and deliver on-demand products, by city tier, 2023
- Morning is the busiest times of day for convenience stores
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Brand Image and Perception of Importance
- Gaps between major domestic and Japanese brands narrow down
- Figure 27: Brand image and perception of importance, by brand, 2023
- Smoker consumers expect more attractive, unique and high-end products from convenience stores
- Figure 28: Brand image and perception of importance, by smoker and non-smoker, 2023
- Long business hours prioritised by frequent shoppers
- Figure 29: Brand image and perception of importance, by shopping frequency, 2023
- Gaps between major domestic and Japanese brands narrow down
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Attitudes towards Membership
- Concerns about membership systems are still prevalent
- Figure 30: Attitudes towards membership, by shopping frequency, 2023
- Privacy protection and precise recommendation are more import for men regardless of shopping frequency
- Figure 31: Attitudes towards membership – selected items, by gender and shipping frequency, 2023
- Reminders of membership usage can improve young consumers’ shopping experience
- Figure 32: Attitudes towards membership – selected items, by age, 2023
- Concerns about membership systems are still prevalent
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Preferable Additional Service
- Both the expansion of product categories and services are expected
- Figure 33: Product/service expansion preference, by shopping frequency, 2023
- Women’s skincare/cosmetic needs and men’s fitness needs are worth considering
- Figure 34: Product/service expansion preference, by gender, 2023
- Pet-friendly space and products could create new opportunities
- Figure 35: Product/service expansion preference, by living with pet or not, 2023
- Both the expansion of product categories and services are expected
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Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
- Methodology
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