How China’s traditional markets are reviving empty malls

(Edited and refined by Josephine Hong, with the assistance of AI translation.)

“Fresh from the farm, just 5 RMB (US$0.70), 5 RMB!” 

“Take your pick, just 6 RMB. Try it!”

On a weekday morning, the Jinyulai (金渝来) market beside Xiaolongkan metro station in Chongqing’s Shapingba district was bustling. Vendors enthusiastically hawked an array of vegetables, fruit, pastries and snacks, while the sounds of customers haggling and exchanging greetings filled the air.

Ms Zhang, 45, who was selecting jasmine grapes at a fruit stall, told Lianhe Zaobao (LHZB) that she is here almost every week to ganchang (赶场, visit the recurring market). She said, “It’s mainly because it’s convenient. The produce is fresh and the prices are low.”

A piece of rural life in the city

Ganchang refers to the traditional practice of going to the rural market, common in southwestern China and known as ganji (赶集) in northern China.

In the past, poor transport links, dispersed populations and a lack of permanent shops in rural China led communities to designate certain dates each month as market days. These might follow a “2-5-8” or “3-6-9” schedule, referring to dates ending in those numbers. Villagers would gather at designated locations on these days to buy daily necessities and trade agricultural produce.

This form of consumption, once commonly seen in the countryside, has recently gained popularity in Chinese cities.

Jinyulai’s leasing manager and vendors told LHZB that stall rents ranged from 500 RMB to 1,300 RMB a month. Although the market does not open every day, it attracts large, concentrated crowds on trading days, raking in a decent income.

By 10 am on the day of my visit, the market was already packed and abuzz. It also has a teahouse where customers can rest after shopping.

Besides Jinyulai, similar recurring markets have sprung up in central Chongqing, including Guanyinqiao in Jiangbei district and Qixinggang in Yuzhong district. They are proving highly popular among local residents.

Zhou Na, a research fellow at the National University of Singapore (NUS)’s East Asian Institute (EAI) who has long studied economic development in Chengdu and Chongqing, told LHZB that Chongqing’s unique urban structure — a major metropolis with a vast rural hinterland — had created fertile ground for such markets. Many residents moved to the city from outlying districts, counties and towns, so they are familiar with ganchang and may even feel an emotional connection to it. Rapid improvements in urban infrastructure have also made it easier for rural produce to reach the city.

Tan Gangqiang, head of Xiehe Psychological Consultation Office in Chongqing, described ganchang as a form of psychological respite from highly modernised urban life. In the past, people did not necessarily visit rural markets to buy something — they also served as places of social interaction. This cultural tradition is now being recreated in cities, rekindling people’s memories of rural life.

From abandoned supermarkets to bustling community spaces

It is no coincidence that these markets have emerged in bustling urban districts. Many occupy sites that once housed major supermarket chains, including China Resources Vanguard, once China’s largest supermarket operator; Yonghui Superstores, once hailed as the “supermarket king”; Shanghai No. 1 Department Store supermarket; and foreign retail giant Carrefour. Similar redevelopments of former supermarket sites into new-style marketplaces can now be found in cities across China.

According to Beijing Business Today and Nanjing Daily, Qihao Market, which opened in Beijing’s Chaoyang district late last year, was created on commercial premises that had stood vacant for two years after Carrefour closed its International Exhibition Centre outlet. The site was transformed into a market combining fresh produce retail, speciality dining and leisure facilities.

Mando Lefuli Market, which also opened last year in Nanjing’s Gulou district, occupies the former site of the city’s first Carrefour hypermarket.

Tan said such redevelopments are more than just about reusing physical space. More importantly, they rebuild community life, “turning cold, abandoned commercial premises into warm and welcoming social spaces”.

Yao Shujie, an economics professor at Chongqing University, said ganchang meets Chinese consumers’ desire for variety, flexibility and freshness, while also enhancing the shopping experience.

Supermarket retreat behind rise of ganchang

One common slogan in social media posts promoting ganchang is: “It’s not that supermarkets are unaffordable; traditional markets simply offer better value for money.” The popularity of such markets is also closely linked to the contraction and retreat of supermarket chains in China over the past two years.

According to the China Chain Store & Franchise Association’s “China’s Top 100 Supermarkets 2024” report, 62 leading supermarket companies in China closed 3,037 stores in 2024. China Resources Vanguard reduced its stores by 493, while Yonghui Superstores shrank its store network by about a quarter.

Financial statements show that Yonghui has remained in the red since 2021. Industry publications estimate that it has accumulated losses of about 11.6 billion RMB over the past five years. Carrefour, meanwhile, has been loss-making since 2017, with cumulative losses from 2017 to 2024 estimated at between several to tens of billions of RMB. It lost more than 3 billion RMB in 2021 alone.

As supermarkets withdraw and traditional markets move in, does the shift reflect changing consumer preferences and habits, greater caution in spending, or even consumption downgrading?

Tan said that while the revival of ganchang might appear to reflect consumption downgrading, it was in fact a change in consumption patterns. He and Zhou both viewed it as a sign of more rational consumer behaviour.

Yao, meanwhile, said the revival of ganchang demonstrates a more vibrant and resilient marketplace following the relaxation of overly stringent regulations. It also serves as one way for local governments to stimulate economic activity.

Citing newer retail formats such as Sam’s Club and Qiandama, he said popular shopping destinations did not compete on price alone, but had found a balance between value for money, convenience and experience.

Zhou also expects ganchang to become an important complement to the urban consumption landscape, evolving into a hybrid model combining community markets, farmers’ markets, speciality dining and leisure experiences.

She said, “With proper operations and sound management, they can not only revitalise vacant commercial space, but also make urban consumption more diverse and inclusive.”

Zhou cautioned, however, that from a macroeconomic perspective, while such markets could boost consumer activity and bring greater vibrancy to local commerce, they essentially redirect rather than generate consumption. Their contribution to overall consumption growth is therefore relatively limited.

This article was first published in Lianhe Zaobao as “乡村“赶场”文化进入城市 超市撤退潮后的消费重构”.

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