China Economic Quarterly

China Economic Quarterly

March 2002

24/7 Heaven: The C-store Comes To Town

China’s retail market is evolving swiftly. More than a decade of steady growth has led to retail saturation in urban areas, heightening competition and prompting widespread consolidation. At the same time, foreign retailers are entering the market, bringing new retail formats.

The latest arrival, the convenience store, offers not just a new shopping experience but more business prospects than its predecessors. The C-store provides employment and franchising opportunities for many, contributing indirectly to economic and social development in urban areas. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Shanghai, which serves as a model for convenience store expansion in the retail sector.

Also in this issue:

  • Trends: Phoenix television’s licence

  • Trends:The case for IPR piracy

  • Economics: The rise and non-rise of the holiday economy

  • Monkey King: Carolyn Schofield

Tomas Wiik2002-05