9. Better Life
Base: Changsha, Hunan province
Revenue: RMB 24.5 billion (US$3.9 billion)
Number of stores: 377
Based in Changsha of Hunan province in central China, Better Life Supermarket was established by the Better Life Group in 1995 and was among the first supermarket chain operators to go public in China.
In 2020, the Better Life Group recorded a sales revenue of RMB 24.5 billion (US$3.9 billion), up by 0.8%, while Its retail store coverage expanded to 377 stores from Hunan to neighbouring Guangxi, Jiangxi and Sichuan provinces.
With the aim to dominate the southwest China market, Better Life set out to target second- to third-tier cities. With over 200 stores operating in Hunan nowadays, it is named as the “King of Hunan’s supermarket“.
After gaining a foothold in Hunan, the Better Life group purchased the Nancheng Department Store in Guangxi in 2014, turning the group into a retail chain leader in Guangxi and Hunan.
The group recently opened its first premium supermarket in Changsha in 2021 to attract young and medium to high-end consumers. The new supermarket reportedly offers close to a thousand brands of wines including popular brands from France’s DBR Lafite and features a “wine tasting zone” where consumers can interact with sommeliers.
