At the beginning of 2025, the China Chain Operation Association conducted a survey on the operation of chain supermarkets in 2024: a total of 47 supermarket enterprises with more than 10,000 stores and a total annual sales of nearly 300 billion yuan were valid samples of this survey.

According to the statistical results, the chain supermarket industry is facing greater development pressure in 2024. In addition to the number of visitors, the proportion of enterprises that achieved year-on-year growth in other key indicators was less than half, and the good trend was not obvious. However, in this environment, Hubei Yasi, Guangdong Jiarong, Henan Dazhang, Beijing Huaguan, Anhui Hongfu, Harbin Central Red and other regional enterprises still maintain growth, the performance is more prominent. In 2025, the development strategy of the overall industry began to diverge, and some enterprises turned from last year's deep regional market expansion strategy to consolidate the stable development of the existing market.

1. Total sales of enterprises

Less than 40% of the total sales of supermarkets increased year-on-year, mainly from the improvement of operating capacity.

In 2024, 38.2% of supermarket enterprises achieved year-on-year sales growth, most of which did not increase the total number 

of stores. Total sales fell by 57.4 per cent year-on-year. Compared with 2023, the overall recovery trend of the industry is still not 

obvious.

2. Comparable store sales

The sales performance of standard supermarkets was slightly better than that of large supermarkets and community supermarkets.

The year-on-year sales performance of large supermarkets (above 6000m²), standard supermarkets (2000-6000m²) and community supermarkets (below 2000m²) was basically consistent with the overall sales; 27% of enterprises increased in all three store types; Forty-six percent of companies fell in all three stores. It shows that the enterprise's own management ability is the dominant factor. In 2024, the comparable store sales of 24.2% of large supermarkets, 37.2% of standard supermarkets and 23.9% of community supermarkets were positive year-on-year, and the performance of standard super stores was slightly better.

3. Enterprise net profit

The phenomenon of increasing income does not increase profit is more prominent, only a quarter of the supermarket net profit growth.

Fourth, the expansion of the store

The total number of sample supermarket stores contracted by about 1.8%, and only 30% of enterprises had a net increase in stores.

In 2024, 28.3% of supermarkets will have a net increase in stores. The sample enterprises opened a total of 737 new stores, closed 994 stores, and added a net of 196 stores. According to the total number of samples, the industry's overall store shrinkage rate is about 1.8%. Reflects the industry's overall disposal of loss-making stores is more decisive. Among them, 90% of the stores opened and closed are below 2000 square stores, which is related to the more flexible adjustment of small community business.

Number of visitors to the store

The number of visitors to physical stores of supermarket enterprises increased by 51.1% year-on-year, and decreased by 38.3% year-on-year. Among them, 40% of the increase in the number of visitors did not drive the increase in sales, indicating that the customer unit price of this part of the enterprise is declining.

6. Online sales

The supermarket online business performed well compared to total sales.

48.9% of supermarket enterprises online sales growth, of which 30% of enterprises still maintain a high growth of more than 20%, 

concentrated in the second and third-tier markets are transforming supermarket enterprises.

Seven, supermarket adjustment

Three quarters of the supermarket enterprises have tried to adjust and achieved growth, and the adjustment has achieved initial results.

Under the hot spot of the industry concern this year, three-quarters of the sample supermarkets have been adjusted, of which 75% have 

achieved growth, the growth rate is mainly concentrated within 20%, and the individual adjusted stores have increased by more than 50%.

Viii. Overall Development Strategy of 2025

The development strategy of enterprises began to diverge, the willingness to expand decreased, and the cross-regional development basically stalled.

36.2% of the enterprises chose expansion strategy and contraction strategy respectively. Expansion strategies include deep cultivation of existing areas,

 upgrading of facilities and equipment, and cross-regional development, among which cross-regional expansion accounts for the smallest proportion, only 

2.1%. The strategy includes closing bad stores and optimizing existing ones. 27.7% of the enterprises chose to consolidate the stable development strategy 

of the existing market. Compared with 2024, the intention to expand is significantly lower.

Nine, 2025 supermarket work priorities

Procurement model transformation, organizational business process optimization and store operation quality improvement are the main axes of work in 2025

Nearly 90% of supermarkets chose the transformation of commodity procurement mode as the key work in 2025, reflecting the consensus of the supermarket

 industry on changing and optimizing the traditional distribution mode to build commodity power. 70% of supermarkets have also chosen organizational structure 

adjustment and internal process optimization to cope with model changes, and store upgrading, service and environment improvement is another choice of most

 enterprises. Less attention has been paid to pioneering activities such as new store types and new formats.