General Secretary Xi Jinping’s concerns – Care about -small supermarkets- and -great people’s livelihood-

Amidst a plethora of goods, supermarkets play a crucial role in everyday life. They not only reflect consumer trends and serve as microcosms of economic development but also significantly impact the public’s well-being.

President Xi Jinping has expressed a keen interest in “small supermarkets” as part of a larger concern for people’s livelihoods. He has visited community supermarkets, rural stores, and service area shops along highways, leaving a mark on each.

In response to his directives, various regions have taken multiple measures to stabilize market supply and ensure product safety, continuously innovating ways to benefit consumers and stimulate spending. Initiatives to provide essential goods for the community are underway, demonstrating these efforts in practice.

**Ensuring Food Access for the Community**

Jiang Yuxing can’t help but feel happy when he sees products flying off the shelves at the supermarket, as many of them are items he has sourced. A member of the Rural Revitalization Working Group at Guizhou’s Huimin Agricultural Products Company, Jiang’s role involves scouting local specialties to recommend to 155 partnering fresh markets.

“We go where the demand is to understand market conditions,” Jiang explained. After two years of work, he has created records of agricultural products from 180 villages and earned the nickname “Flavor Scout.”

Thanks to Jiang’s efforts, local specialties like highland cabbage from Weining and sticky corn from Qingzhen have reached supermarket shelves, creating market opportunities for farmers and satisfying consumer needs.

This past spring, when troubles arose for the sales of high-quality oranges in Longping Township, Jiang stepped in. He noticed differing quality standards and guided the villagers to select uniformly-sized oranges, which led to 15 tons of their fruit entering several fresh markets shortly after.

Huimin Company also supports the government in stabilizing prices. Jiang tracks local market prices daily to provide competitive supermarket pricing for around 40 essential items, including setting up a discount zone.

During the National Day holiday, visitors at the Void Acceptance Huimin Fresh Supermarket in Guiyang noticed over thirty varieties of vegetables. The “one-dollar zone” offered items like radishes and cabbage at just 0.99 yuan per pound.

Statistics show that since 2021, Huimin Fresh Supermarkets in Guiyang have purchased over 24,000 tons of local agricultural products, benefiting 136,000 farmers and saving consumers nearly 1 billion yuan through pricing advantages.

“President Xi has stated that supermarkets should benefit both farmers and citizens. As flavor scouts, our mission is to connect citizens with good products while helping farmers find sales channels,” Jiang said.

**Safeguarding Travelers’ Food Safety**

In the eyes of Ran Qian, the manager at Jiuchang Service Area along the Lanhai Expressway, product quality is of utmost importance.

“Though most visitors are just passing through, the quality of our goods directly affects their health, so we never take shortcuts,” Ran emphasized.

At the entrance of the service area supermarket, licenses and health certificates are prominently displayed. The neatly organized shopping area features local delicacies like prickly-pear snacks and Zunyi egg cakes.

During the first three days of the National Day holiday, Ran was on duty, noting an increase in both inventory and sales. “We’ve had to maintain strict food safety control, as some items have short shelf lives and need constant monitoring.”

“We have three layers of checks: our operators keep records, we conduct inspections, and the regulatory body performs regular assessments,” Ran mentioned, adding that emergency food safety drills take place frequently to enhance reactive capabilities.

Many travelers enjoy a dedicated section labeled “Same City, Same Quality, Same Price,” featuring basic necessities like bottled water and instant noodles, which are priced similarly to nearby convenience stores.

“President Xi is very concerned about the quality of goods in service areas. We will ensure the safety of travelers’ meals as if it’s the lifeline of our supermarket,” Ran asserted.

**Enriching the Community Lifestyle**

With promotions like 99 yuan for six large bottles of laundry detergent and 9.6 yuan for twelve bottles of beverages, long lines formed at the Minhui Supermarket in Aimin Community, Xilin Gol League during the National Day holiday. Local resident Ma Dongping, 69, remarked, “The community supermarket not only offers great prices but also convenience, making life easier.”

Since 2017, the Aimin Community Committee has worked to create a service hub by partnering with the large retailer, Decathlon, to operate the Minhui Supermarket, substantially reducing costs for residents. This supermarket, along with community services, is conveniently located within a single building, creating a “15-minute living circle” for inhabitants.

“The product offerings have expanded from just over 1,000 items to over 3,000, with prices around 90% of what they would be outside the community, especially on leafy greens. We even provide carts for residents to carry their groceries home,” explained Li Xiaohui, the supermarket manager, noting they’ve saved the community over 638,000 yuan so far.

Recognizing that senior citizens may struggle with smartphone orders, the supermarket collaborates with community volunteers to deliver purchases directly to homes with just a phone call.

Aimin Community has also partnered with the supermarket to issue “love cards” for 56 low-income households, granting them access to even lower prices while providing free distribution of donated essentials.

“With the love card, my family saves two to three hundred yuan on monthly expenses,” resident Ma Zhizhen shared, appreciating the warmth it brings.

Beyond aiding low-income families, the supermarket offers incentives to volunteers—points earned through service can be exchanged for everyday items.

“President Xi has urged us to prioritize the people’s needs and address their challenges. Keeping his words in mind, we in the community prioritize service, ensuring that through the supermarket, our outreach remains detailed and beneficial,” concluded Li Jia, the community Party Secretary.

**Unlocking New Consumption Potential**

Dou Gang operates the “Jia Mei Jia” chain of supermarkets in Ningxia’s Wuzhong City. This year’s National Day holiday finds him busy restocking while preparing the setup for his sixth and seventh stores.

Located in the largest settlement area for ecological migrants, Wuzhong houses over 200,000 newcomers from the region.

Dou’s journey began with a modest 30-square-meter store and has grown to seven branches spanning 5,500 square meters, offering 12,000 products ranging from staples to exotic items like durian and seafood. “Our supermarket’s evolution reflects the consumption upgrade and significant lifestyle changes of our migrant community,” Dou proudly shared.

He recalled the early days of opening a small shop with his brother, selling a limited variety of essential items. In 2014, he invested over 200,000 yuan to expand into a larger supermarket, sourcing goods locally and from distant areas like Xi’an and Zhengzhou.

As the residents’ economic circumstances improved, Jia Mei Jia experienced rapid growth, generating a monthly revenue of 450,000 yuan and employing over 80 local residents.

Discussing consumer trends, Dou noted, “These days, nearly every household has water purifiers or dispensers. Laundry pods are now a hot commodity, and the demand for packaged liquor has replaced loose spirits as households opt for quality over quantity.”

Stepping into Dou’s supermarket, customers are greeted with well-organized displays of fresh produce alongside seafood and dairy products.

To further stimulate spending, Jia Mei Jia has recently adopted e-commerce strategies, providing insights into its operations through social media, allowing consumers to pre-order fresh goods for home delivery.

“The President emphasized the importance of ‘expanding new consumption models to fully unleash consumption potential’. Supermarkets act as economic indicators; enriching the shopping experience is essential for enhancing consumer satisfaction,” Dou remarked.