As the aftermath of the Chinese New Year faded, a piece of news caused quite a stir among consumers - RT-Mart, a giant that once dominated the retail industry, announced the closure of many stores in just one month.
On February 17, RT-Mart Deyang Store issued an announcement sayingIt will be discontinued from February 26, 2024Commercial。On the same day, RT-Mart Zhenjiang Xuefu Road Store issued an announcement sayingThe store will be closed from February 29, 2024。In addition, RT-Mart Zhuzhou store also issued an announcement on February 19It has been announced that it will be closed from March 4, 2024
From Zhenjiang in Jiangsu Province to Deyang in Sichuan Province and then to Zhuzhou in Hunan ProvinceThe farewell of these stores is not just as simple as a business decision, but also a profound change in the entire retail industry.
According to the latest statistics,Since 2023, RT-Mart has announced the closure of at least 13 stores, involving multiple provinces. This phenomenon is not an isolated case, and other large supermarkets such as Carrefour and Lianhua are facing a similar dilemmaSo, what is the reason for this wave of store closures?
First of all, we have to mentionThe downward trend of the entire supermarket industry. Under the impact of e-commerce, the traditional retail industry is experiencing unprecedented challenges. Consumers' shopping habits are changing, and the convenience of online shopping is gradually replacing traditional offline shopping. This can be seen from the revenue data of supermarkets such as RT-Mart. In 2023, the performance forecasts of many listed supermarkets show that except for a few profitable, most companies are facing huge losses.
Secondly,The level of competition is also escalating。In addition to traditional supermarket competition, RT-Mart also has to face the impact of instant retail platforms such as Meituan Flash Sale, Ele.me, and JD Daojia. These platforms, with their fast delivery and rich selection of goods, are eating into the market share of traditional supermarkets.
However,RT-Mart's store closures weren't all negative。From a certain point of view, this is also a strategic adjustment. RT-Mart CEO Lin Xiaohai mentioned in an interview that the company is implementing a new development strategy, including differentiated product strength, online inspection center, online fulfillment center and multi-format omni-channel. ThisIt shows that RT-Mart is trying to meet the challenges by optimizing the store structure, improving service quality, and expanding online business.
In this transformation of the retail industry, is RT-Mart's store closure a strategic "** or a helpless move in the cold winter of the industry?" The answer to this question may only be known in time. But what is certain is that RT-Mart's move has undoubtedly sounded the alarm for the entire retail industry. In the new retail era, how to adapt to the changes in consumer demand and how to find their foothold in the fierce market competition will be a problem that every retail enterprise must face. For us consumers, it is also worth looking forward to what kind of shopping experience this change will bring.
A number of RT-Mart stores were closed