The epidemic has repeated, and the Chinese supermarket operators in this country have suffered too much!

　　On July 24, local time, according to the latest data released by the Argentine Ministry of Health, there were 5,493 confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia in Argentina in a single day. Previously, the country’s single-day new cases have hit a new high for 3 consecutive days. Vice Minister of Health of Argentina Vizotti said that the Afghan government is stepping up a comprehensive assessment of the epidemic situation in order to formulate further prevention and control measures.

　　The Greater Buenos Aires area of ​​Argentina is currently the most severely affected area in Argentina. Of the new cases, 90% came from the province of Buenos Aires and the capital city of Buenos Aires.

Data map: "China Town" in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo by China News Agency reporter Sheng Jiapeng

　　Burundi Province is also an area where Chinese supermarket operators in Argentina gather. Starting in late June, the number of confirmed cases in Argentina suddenly began to increase substantially. Plans to resume work in many industries have to be postponed repeatedly, and the mood of Chinese supermarket operators is also very complicated.

Dilemma:

The epidemic triggered a business crisis

　　The epidemic has dealt a huge blow to Chinese supermarket operators in Argentina.

　　In just a few weeks, 2,600 Chinese supermarkets in Argentina were temporarily closed. Ye Zhao, general manager of Ultramar, a large-scale Chinese supermarket chain in Argentina, said that many small and medium-sized Chinese supermarkets have closed down. Large supermarkets are still holding on, but their business has been greatly affected.

　　“Logistics is blocked, passenger flow is reduced, and goods are out of stock. The government has also adopted strict price-limiting measures for basic commodities, making some commodities almost no profit margins.” Ye Zhao admitted that under the influence of various factors, Ultramar’s daily turnover has changed from before the epidemic. 600,000 Argentine pesos fell to 200,000.

Data map: A shop in "Chinatown" in Buenos Aires. Photo by China News Agency reporter Sheng Jiapeng

　　Business is sluggish, tax bills and rents are still under pressure. Banks have refused to provide financial support. Funding is not convenient. Many Chinese supermarket owners who are already in difficulty are facing a "worse worse" dilemma.

　　The person in charge of a Chinese supermarket association said that most wholesalers do not accept bank transfers, but hope to use cash. The owners of Chinese supermarkets cannot use their own funds to pay for the goods.

　　In addition, after the outbreak, criminal activities in parts of Argentina increased, and Chinese supermarkets also frequently "suffered".

　　Some Chinese supermarkets have been robbed many times, and shop assistants have been injured by gunmen; some Chinese supermarkets have been "tracked" by thieves, and the owner lost 400,000 pesos at a time; even more suspects of robbing Chinese supermarkets have been diagnosed with new coronary pneumonia, and the supermarket has not only lost They had to close their doors after losing their belongings.

　　After hitting them one by one, the merchants were unable to tell.

change:

Actively change business strategy

　　Under the pressure of the rebound of the epidemic, many people began to change their thinking and seek new business opportunities.

　　Some businesses have begun to deliver goods through mobile communication software and use online ordering to expand their operations. “People in Argentina rarely have the habit of shopping online, but customers will place orders over the phone.” Ye Zhao said that Ultramar supermarkets can be delivered to your door within 5 kilometers, while customers need to pick up for long distances.

Data map: A shop painted with a dragon in the "Chinatown" of Buenos Aires. Photo by China News Agency reporter Sheng Jiapeng

　　In offline business, Chinese businesses have also made full preparations. In Ultramar supermarkets, in addition to full disinfection every two hours, there are strict controls to only 20 customers in the supermarket, and a safety distance of 1.5 meters between customers is ensured.

　　In addition to changing their own business strategies, businesses have also joined forces to complement each other. A person in charge of the Chinese Supermarket Federation said that the industry is preparing to develop an online shopping platform, including 1,500 merchants in the Argentine capital, Dabu City, La Prada City and Yinhai City will join. When customers shop online, they can make product combinations by themselves.

　　Challenges are always accompanied by opportunities, and new business strategies have also opened a "window" for Chinese businesses.

care:

Help others to overcome difficulties

　　In the difficult days, the care from our compatriots is also warm.

　　Considering that many overseas Chinese live by opening supermarkets and doing retail, they need to face customers frequently. The Chinese-language media in Argentina referred to the experience of Chinese supermarkets resuming work and production, and introduced relevant epidemic prevention measures in the report, so as to do a good job for local Chinese businessmen. Protection provides reference.

Data map: Chinese shops in "Chinatown" in Buenos Aires. Photo by China News Agency reporter Sheng Jiapeng

　　Apart from self-help, the Chinese businessmen did their best to help the "second hometown".

　　There are more than 300 Chinese supermarkets in Almirante Brown City. The local Chinese Chamber of Commerce raised materials to donate to the local government, and stated that it would maintain the supermarket commodity price regulations and not raise prices, so that residents can choose the nearest supermarket to purchase daily necessities.

　　A poor canteen in Quilmez, Argentina was unsustainable, so he tried to contact Huang Hanqin, the president of the local Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and received an enthusiastic response. Affected by donations from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, many local businessmen also donated food to the poor cafeteria.

　　I believe that in the near future, everyone will be able to watch the moonlight!

　　Source: China Overseas network of micro-channel public: Liuli Kun References: China News, People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, the World Wide Web, the Chinese Embassy in Argentina site, Argentina Chinese network, South America Press news