In Beijing, hypermarket has become one of the most important format in modern retail market, with leading market share in retail formats. Based on the analysis on demographic characteristics and expenditure of customer groups in foreign hypermarkets such as Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Lotus, RT-Mart, Tesco, Lotte Mart, Auchan, Aeon and other foreign hypermarkets, this report conducted preliminary research on foreign hypermarket format.

Gender characteristics of foreign hypermarket shoppers

In all physical stores in Beijing, shoppers’ gender ratio was 51.5% male and 48.5% female. The ratio of male shoppers is 3 percent higher than that of female shoppers. Gender ratio of shoppers in foreign supermarkets has opposite performance: male 47.9% and female 52.1%. The ratio of male shoppers is 4.2 percent lower than that of female shoppers.

In all physical stores, male shoppers’ average transaction amount is 229 yuan, female shoppers’ is 167 yuan. The gap between them is 62 yuan. In foreign hypermarkets, male shoppers’ average transaction amount is 10 yuan lower than female shoppers’. In foreign hypermarkets, male shoppers’ average transaction amount is 204 yuan, female shoppers’ is 214 yuan.

Caused by average transaction amount gap, male shoppers’ expenditure’s proportion in foreign hypermarkets is 6 percentage points lower than female shoppers’. While male shoppers’ expenditure proportion in physical stores is 22 percentage points higher than female shoppers’, reaching 61% and 39% respectively.

Number, expenditure’s proportion and average transaction amount of male and female shoppers in foreign hypermarkets

In foreign hypermarkets, number, total expenditure and average transaction amount of female shopper groups are higher than that of male shopper groups’. This situation is closely and inseparably related to female shopper groups’ living habit of paying attention to family and the basic necessities of life. While paying attention to households and the supply of basic necessities of life is just the foreign hypermarkets’ pursuit of the customer value and the basic business philosophy.

Age structure characteristics of foreign hypermarket shoppers

Compared to all physical stores’ shoppers, foreign hypermarket shopper groups are younger. The share of foreign hypermarket shoppers aged 25-34 reaches up to 58%, followed by shares of shoppers aged 18-24,35-44, 55-64, 45-65, above 65 and 15-17 sorted in descending order.

In foreign hypermarkets, shoppers aged 45-54 has the highest average transaction amount, reaching 382 yuan. Shoppers aged 45-54 has the second- highest average transaction amount, reaching 382 yuan, followed by shoppers aged 35-44, 25-34, 18-24 and above 65, whose average transaction amount reach 214 yuan, 213 yuan ,185 yuan and 55 yuan respectively.

Number of shoppers and average transaction amount level determine the share of the expenditure of foreign hypermarkets shoppers in various age ranges. During the survey period, expenditure share of shoppers aged 25-34 is the highest one, reaching nearly 60%, followed by the expenditure share of shoppers aged 18-24, 35-44,45-54 and above 55, reaching 19%, 12%, 6% and 5% respectively. Among those, share of expenditures of shoppers aged 25-34,18-24, and 35-44 is close to 90%, which are the major shopper groups of foreign hypermarkets.

Numbers,Age structure characteristics of foreign hypermarket shoppers

Regional characteristics of foreign hypermarkets shoppers

Beijing foreign hypermarket shoppers mainly reside in Urban Function Extended Districts, which accounts for 64.9%; then the shoppers residing in New Districts of Urban Development, accounting for 22.8%, followed by shoppers residing in Core Districts of Capital Function and Ecological Preservation Development Districts, accounting for 8.5% and 0.5% respectively. Compared with physical store shoppers, foreign hypermarkets shoppers’ residential regions are relatively more concentrated.

Districts foreign hypermarkets shoppers reside in with average transaction amount sorted in descending order are as follows: Urban Function Extended Districts (222 yuan), Core Districts of Capital Function (207 yuan), New Districts of Urban Development (187 yuan) and Ecological Preservation Development Districts (130 yuan). Among expenditures of shoppers in foreign hypermarkets, Urban Function Extended Districts’ accounting for 71%, New Districts of Urban Development’s accounting for 20%, totaled up to 91%. Shoppers in these two districts constitutes the major shopping group of foreign hypermarkets.

Foreign hypermarkets shoppers in Urban Function Extended Districts have the highest number, expenditure and average transaction amount. Although number and expenditure proportion of shoppers in Core Districts of Capital Function are not high, but its average transaction amount rank second only to Urban Function Extended Districts shoppers’.

Number, expenditure and average transaction amount of foreign hypermarkets shoppers residing in various Regions

Occupational characteristics of foreign hypermarkets shoppers

Number of foreign hypermarket shoppers employed in clerical work is the largest one, its share reaches 57%, followed by the foreign hypermarket shoppers in business and services occupation, its share reaches 12%, then followed by foreign hypermarket shoppers employed in person in charge work and professional technical work, reaching 10% and 7% respectively.

Foreign hypermarket shoppers employed in person in charge work has the highest average transaction amount, reaching 278 yuan, followed by the shoppers in production, operation and military occupation, reaching 225 yuan; then followed by shoppers employed in other works, reaching 219 yuan, shoppers employed in business and services work, reaching 206 yuan, shoppers employed in clerical work, 201 yuan, shoppers employed in professional technical work, 162 yuan.

In foreign supermarkets, customers engaged in clerical work has the highest proportion of expenditure, 54%. Followed by shoppers employed in person in charge work, accounting for 13%; business services and other works, accounting for 12%, professional technical work, accounting for 5%.

Number, expenditure proportion and average transaction amount of foreign hypermarket shoppers in different occupations

Income characteristics of foreign hypermarkets shoppers

In foreign hypermarkets, shoppers in 3-5 thousand yuan income range has the largest number, accounting for 45% of all shoppers, followed by shoppers in 0-3 thousand yuan income range, accounting for 31%, shoppers in 5-7 thousand yuan income range, accounting for 16% of all shoppers. Three of them total up to 92%, accounting for the vast majority of the foreign hypermarkets shopping groups.

In foreign hypermarkets, shoppers in 10-20 thousand yuan income range has the highest average transaction amount, 308 yuan, followed by shoppers in 7-10 thousand yuan, 3-5 thousand yuan, 5-7 thousand yuan and 0-3 thousand yuan income ranges whose average transaction amounts are 260 yuan, 240 yuan, 214 yuan and 158 yuan respectively.

Under normal circumstances, the growth trends of shoppers’ income levels and average transaction amount have nearly the same growth proportion. This trend is very obvious of the Physical shoppers’. But, because of the scope of commodity business activities in foreign hypermarkets characterized remarkably by basic necessities of life with more rigid demand, gaps between average transaction amounts of shoppers in various income ranges are relatively much smaller.

Number, expenditure proportion and average transaction amount of foreign hypermarkets’ shoppers in different income ranges