China’s Top 100 Supermarkets Report Industry-wide Operational Optimisation in 2025

BEIJING, 8 July — According to findings released by the China Chain Store & Franchise Association, the official 2026 ranking of China’s Top 100 Supermarket Enterprises has been published, with statistical benchmarks adjusted for standardised industrial monitoring. The 2026 edition adopts the release year for ranking naming conventions while retaining operational data collected throughout 2025, ensuring consistent year-on-year comparative analysis of domestic supermarket sector performance.

Aggregated industrial data shows that the Top 100 supermarket enterprises achieved a combined sales volume of 885.5 billion yuan in 2025, operating a total of 21,027 physical stores nationwide. A total of 91 enterprises maintained their positions on the ranking for two consecutive years. Within this stable cohort, overall sales revenue rose by 5.4 per cent year on year, while the total number of physical outlets decreased by 5.4 per cent, reflecting widespread operational efficiency optimisation across the mainstream supermarket segment.

Market structure stratification has become increasingly evident within the industry. Fifteen enterprises on the list recorded annual sales exceeding 10 billion yuan, delivering an 8 per cent year-on-year sales growth rate and leading industrial revenue expansion. Two enterprises secured annual sales output above 100 billion yuan, forming the core tier of China’s supermarket retail sector. Across the full ranking, 47 enterprises achieved positive sales growth, while 32 enterprises expanded their physical store networks. A total of 25 enterprises realised simultaneous growth in both sales revenue and store quantity, demonstrating balanced operational expansion capabilities.

Leading supermarket groups continue to dominate market share and industrial resources. The top ten enterprises on the 2026 list generated total sales of 598.6 billion yuan, accounting for 67.6 per cent of the Top 100 aggregate sales volume. Their combined store count reached 10,373, making up 49.3 per cent of all outlets operated by ranked enterprises, consolidating the concentration trend within China’s supermarket retail industry.

Operational quality and digital transformation have driven steady industrial upgrading in 2025. Sixty per cent of the Top 100 enterprises recorded improved single-store performance, with refined site management and upgraded commodity structures lifting unit operational efficiency. Online retail business has maintained sustained penetration growth, with the proportion of online sales in total revenue reaching 19.7 per cent across all ranked enterprises, representing a year-on-year increase of 2.8 percentage points.

The evolving operational indicators outline a clear upgrade trajectory for China’s supermarket industry. Traditional extensive expansion relying on continuous store proliferation is being phased out, replaced by refined management, digital empowerment and enhanced single-store profitability. Domestic supermarket enterprises will continue to deepen digital layout, optimise online and offline integrated retail models, and further improve operational quality and service capabilities to adapt to evolving consumer market demands.