Supermarkets open canteens, convenient and affordable
2024-10-09
More than 60 dishes, including stewed pork with fungus, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, braised eggplant, etc., are delicious in color, aroma, and taste, with a dazzling array and steaming hot. Recently, we walked into a newly opened cafeteria at a supermarket in Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing. We saw many customers holding plates to choose lunch, which was very popular. During peak hours, it can accommodate more than 100 people dining at the same time. The price is so affordable, and being able to eat so many dishes gives me a feeling of comprehensive nutrition Customer Yang Na's plate contains six or seven different dishes. She thinks that this cafeteria adopts a self-service format, making dining choices more diverse and healthier than monotonous boxed meals. The canteen is a new business model launched by the supermarket. At present, it provides lunch and dinner in the form of self-service. The buffet of staple foods such as pasta and Fried Rice is 13 yuan, and the buffet of fried dishes is 19.9 yuan. There are a wide range of vegetables, meat dishes, cakes, fruits, etc., which customers can choose independently. Customers who come to dine are constantly coming, including the elderly, children, as well as salaried workers and students. The supermarket manager Zhong Xiaoying introduced, "Our store is located in a densely populated Zhongguancun office building, surrounded by residential areas and universities. Opening a cafeteria in the supermarket provides convenient and fast dining options for nearby customers, and the customer response is good. Especially during the summer vacation, parents often visit with their children." "The supermarket has a cafeteria, which is convenient and affordable." Gong Wei, who works for a nearby company, said that the supermarket cafeteria can basically meet daily dining needs. "This is another cafeteria that I often come to besides the company cafeteria." "The dishes in the cafeteria are moderately salty and suitable for us elderly people." 74 year old customer Yuan Xiangyu often comes to the supermarket for shopping and also eats in the cafeteria. "She has been here for lunch and dinner. Sometimes I also eat with my family Sun Feng, who works at a nearby construction site, said, "The 13 yuan self-service fried noodles taste good, and the large quantity is sufficient. The supermarket cafeteria is very affordable." Not long ago, when he came to the supermarket for shopping, he accidentally discovered the newly opened self-service cafeteria and has been eating here with his colleagues almost every day since then. Entering the back kitchen of the cafeteria, we saw that the automatic stir fry machine, automatic dishwasher, and other equipment were fully equipped. Just put the cut ingredients and seasonings into the machine, wait for a moment, and a dish can be quickly cooked. The automation equipment has improved efficiency, and the advantage of this cafeteria is that freshly made stir fried dishes are healthier and more delicious. Opening a cafeteria in a supermarket is a new attempt at mixed operation of multiple businesses, which conforms to the trend of transformation and upgrading of physical stores. Zhong Xiaoying introduced, "Running a supermarket already has supply chain advantages for vegetables and meat. We carefully select suppliers, provide fresh and clean dishes every day, and never use leftover ingredients from the previous day's supermarket, which can ensure the safety of ingredients and improve dining efficiency." To prepare for the cafeteria, this supermarket has recruited 12 new staff members. They have undergone rigorous training and are specifically responsible for the kitchen, cleaning, and other work in the cafeteria. All tableware needs to be strictly cleaned and disinfected, and regularly supervised and inspected. To ensure food safety, it is necessary to use good ingredients and never make a fuss about the cost of ingredients Zhong Xiaoying said, "The canteen is centered on benefiting the people, with the aim of serving the surrounding residents well, satisfying the people, and making them willing to come to our supermarket. The supermarket staff and I also dine in the canteen, so that everyone can eat with peace of mind. In the future, our canteen will be combined with elderly care meals and community services to create a convenient living circle for the people within 15 minutes." The canteen area, which was once a regular stall selling staple foods such as pancakes and noodles in this supermarket, "transformed" into a canteen, and received a warm response from consumers. In June of this year, the supermarket cafeteria began operation, and as of now, the daily average passenger flow is 600-1000 people. Not long ago, the cafeteria launched takeout service, with an average daily order volume of about 120 during the trial operation period. Zhong Xiaoying said, "Some customers buy daily necessities while finishing their meals. Our survey found that currently, about 67% of customers in supermarkets and canteens overlap. Canteens have also activated new consumption drivers in supermarkets. In fact, many supermarkets have already crossed over into the catering industry. For example, Hema Fresh has adopted a business model of "supermarket+fresh food and beverage" since its opening. Recently, many branded supermarkets such as Yonghui, Wumart, and Hualian have also opened convenient canteens. Affordable dining has increased the foot traffic of supermarkets. Supermarkets have stirred up a "cafeteria style" and become more "fireworks like", meeting the living needs of the people and cultivating new growth points for consumption. According to expert analysis, many traditional supermarkets are currently striving to optimize their offline store consumption scenarios and integrate diverse business formats. Introducing affordable canteens is an attempt to transform and upgrade supermarkets. Fast food belongs to high-frequency consumption, and consumers purchasing fast food in supermarkets can promote the sales of other products, especially related products such as beverages, drinks, snacks, etc. Meanwhile, it is difficult for e-commerce platforms to sell freshly made fast food, and supermarkets can form differentiated competition with e-commerce platforms. The new business model of "supermarket+canteen" is refreshing for consumers, but whether it can maintain its attractiveness depends on the business's operational ability. Supermarkets need to evaluate their profitability and achieve sustainable operations while continuously improving their products and services related to affordable canteens. Currently, consumers' demands are becoming increasingly diversified, and their requirements for products and services are also increasing. Supermarkets cannot rely solely on the foot traffic generated by affordable canteens to drive sales, but also need to constantly innovate and provide more products and services that consumers need in order to develop better. (New Society)
Edit：Chen Jie Responsible editor：Li Ling
Source：People's Daily
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