On the evening of December 8, a reporter from China Business News learned from Gome that the human resources department has established a communication mechanism with employees, and will officially introduce a solution to properly solve the employee salary problem in the near future.
That night, Gome Retail (00493.HK), the parent company of Gome Electric, announced that it had entered into a loan agreement with Shinning Crown Holdings Inc. (a company wholly owned by Huang Guangyu, the controlling shareholder of the company), and that Shinning Crown agreed to provide the company with 1.5 billion Hong Kong dollars interest-free, unsecured loan with an initial term of 6 months, which can be renewed, for Gome Retail's general working capital.
It is understood that this amount is the proceeds of Huang Guangyu's previous reduction of Gome Retail's stock. Huang Guangyu intends to increase the liquidity of listed companies through interest-free unsecured loans, including but not limited to solving part of the wages of employees.
"Major shareholders have attached great importance to it, and raised funds by reducing their shareholding to supplement the company's operations and pay wages. Employees are expected to receive wages soon." According to senior sources from Gome, they have held a national The high-level meeting discussed and paid considerable attention to the salary issue of a small number of employees. Not only did the personnel department establish a benign communication mechanism with the employees to appease and understand the needs of the employees, but this time the major shareholders took active actions in order to let Employees can receive their salaries before the end of the year.
"Although the company is still focusing on transformation, the major shareholders are still very optimistic about the company's future prospects, and the purpose of making a move is to advance and retreat with the employees." The above-mentioned person told reporters that the solution of the personnel department will come out in the next two days, and the business Gome, which has been in business for 36 years, will do its best to fulfill its corporate social responsibility.
Regarding the "salary asking" video on the Internet, the above-mentioned person said that Huang Guangyu's ongoing project contract negotiation site did not appear at the scene of the dialogue with the employees.
"Aiming at the false video, Gome may resolve it through legal channels."
Cut down unprofitable shops in 30 areas
On the evening of the 8th, a person close to Gome’s senior executives revealed to the CBN reporter that Gome will make big moves in the future. It does not rule out “survival with broken arms”, active self-help, comprehensive transformation, and “slimming” focusing on the new model of the supply chain.
The reporter exclusively learned that at the general manager meeting of the branch on the evening of December 7, Gome decided to cut down unprofitable small stores in 30 regions across the country, retain profitable large stores, and at the same time let go of franchising or quasi-franchising. Attract a wider range of "social forces" to join.
Regardless of whether it is the owner's property, home appliance brand, or social forces such as store managers, agents, scalpers, and push hands, all can participate in store management, and establish a new company with Gome. Gome is only responsible for providing resource support such as store management and supply chain. Reduce risks and encourage more social forces to enhance the competitiveness of stores.
The above-mentioned person close to Gome’s senior executives believes that “the advantage of this is to activate the operation of the store, reduce the risk, and allow more people with resources to participate in improving the competitiveness of the store. Otherwise, the home appliance industry has experienced years of price wars. The profit is very thin, and if you continue to do it, you will work for the owner's property, and you will hardly make any money yourself."
He said that at the moment of the epidemic and the sluggish consumer market, there is no room for the traditional retail model to break through. Gome can only choose innovation in the current situation.
"From last year to the present, all the money earned has been paid for rent and water and electricity bills. How can there be money to pay employees and settle payments to suppliers."
"Gome's comprehensive transformation is to focus, change awareness, create private domain traffic, and completely revolutionize the traditional retail model through means such as push hands and live broadcast." The above-mentioned person close to Gome's senior management said that the new model of Gome's comprehensive transformation is not only to shut down unprofitable store, but a complete change in consciousness, to focus on the Internet marketing model.
It is understood that the "First Gome Cup National Goods Gold Pusher" competition started recruitment preparations from December 7th to 11th. This move is also regarded as the first event for Gome to officially land live broadcasts in stores and create a new delivery model.
The push hands incubation system will be promoted and implemented in each branch area of Gome.
The above-mentioned person said that since Gome has set a strategy for the transformation of stores across the country to live broadcasting, how to improve several core elements of the live broadcasting industry chain around this strategic goal, such as supply chain pallets, online celebrity live broadcasts, whether there will be internal and external domain traffic Combination and other issues are being explored.
How to start "self-help" next?
The first financial reporter learned from Gome’s official Weibo that Gome will launch a number of live broadcasts from December 9th to 12th in conjunction with the “Double 12” promotion, covering color TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators, kitchens, bathrooms, In addition to discounts and relatively low prices, new products in multiple categories such as small household appliances and communications have also touched the "outside domain" for the first time.
"This time the live broadcast is no longer routine as in the past, but it is the first time to open up with local life centers around Douyin, and distribute the live broadcast discount coupons in advance to attract customers." The relevant person in charge of Gome told reporters, In addition to regular publicity and promotion such as the push hands community in the inner domain, they also connected the live broadcast activities on the Zhenhappy platform with the local life center of Douyin for the first time. The docking of local official service providers will attract traffic to the live broadcast site through the distribution of short videos and the issuance of coupons.
The above-mentioned person in charge said that Gome branches in Ningbo and Hunan have started the pilot proofing of local life in their newly opened new model stores. At present, they are docking with relevant national live broadcast industry organizations, training and incubating employees, and introducing high-quality local life peripherals. The live broadcast from online celebrity stores to Gome stores has completely improved the original situation of "employees live broadcasting selling electrical appliances and going away", and made the store live broadcasting more content.
Zhang Cuixia, Chief Investment Advisor of Jufeng, said that Gome's exploration of a new thinking of "consumers turning to consumers" is more like Gome's active self-help when it is facing difficulties in the epidemic environment.
Some people in the industry also believe that whether Gome's "survival with a broken arm" can bring a new growth engine to the company still needs to wait for the test of the market and time.