Multi-format to create a convenient life circle

  A few days ago, the Ministry of Commerce and other 10 departments announced the list of the second batch of pilot areas for the "15-hour urban convenience living circle" in the country, and 50 areas across the country were selected.

Starting from the announcement of the first batch of lists, it has been a full year to build a "15-hour convenient living circle" across the country. As of now, a total of 80 pilot areas of the "15-hour convenient living circle" have been launched across the country.

  The "Five-hour Convenience Living Circle" is a community business circle formed by agglomeration of multiple business formats, targeting community residents with a service radius of about 15 minutes' walk. .

In the past year, major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai have achieved initial results in this regard. Products that were only available on e-commerce platforms in the past can now be purchased from nearby supermarkets and convenience stores through instant retail.

These services, such as take-out, online grocery shopping, and community self-pickup, relying on local brick-and-mortar merchants have become an important part of the convenience life circle, bringing real convenience to residents' lives and bringing a new look to traditional community retail.

  "Five-hour convenient living circle" is conducive to accelerating the breakthrough and transformation of urban brick-and-mortar retail.

Since its establishment, a large number of urban physical stores have been optimized, hardware and software have been upgraded, and the promotion of new technologies has spawned a variety of new community business models and formats such as instant retail, unmanned retail, and community group buying.

According to statistics, it is estimated that by 2026, the size of the instant retail market will reach 1 trillion yuan.

Data from retail platform Meituan also shows that since September 2021, the number of supermarkets in Beijing has increased by 18% year-on-year, and the number of orders generated has increased by 53% year-on-year.

In the second quarter of this year, its instant delivery orders grew to 4.1 billion.

Community brick-and-mortar retail bid farewell to the previous scattered "small workshop" form, and gradually developed a new urban brick-and-mortar retail format with omni-channel operation capabilities and all-weather service capabilities.

  "Five-hour convenient living circle" can also meet the immediate consumption needs of residents and stimulate local potential purchasing power.

The "Opinions on Promoting the Construction of a Fifteen-Hour Convenience Living Circle in the City" previously issued by 12 departments including the Ministry of Commerce proposed that all localities should make full use of new technologies to promote business format and model innovation, integrate online and offline, meet immediate consumption, stimulate potential consumption, and expand Convenience life circle application scenarios, build a convenient life circle smart service platform.

It can be seen that the rich variety of personalized products, the take-away boys who are running for delivery, the bright convenience department stores, etc., all confirm the increasingly prosperous fireworks in my country's cities, and at the same time undertake the diversified consumption needs of urban residents. In particular, it stimulates the consumption potential of the new generation of people and promotes the prosperity of urban commerce and the real economy.

  At the same time, it should be noted that the coverage of commercial outlets in the current "quarter-an-hour convenient living circle" is still incomplete, the layout is not scientific enough, and the development of new models and technologies is not balanced and sufficient.

In this regard, on the one hand, it is still necessary to strengthen the planning and transformation of remote and old communities and areas where the elderly live, so as to promote the matching of business development and residents' needs.

On the other hand, in terms of the setting of development level measurement indicators, indicators such as the digital development level of community retail formats and the degree of online and offline integration of convenience services can be introduced to promote new models and formats such as instant retail and unmanned retail into the community, and accelerate the implementation of new technologies. The empowerment of traditional community services has greatly improved the happiness index of residents.

  Yu Xin