24-hour Convenience Stores Eyeing Qingdao

Retailing brands, big or small, have all turned their eyes to the nighttime economy of Qingdao and are seeking more opportunities to open 24-hour convenience stores there.

Nie Zhenjun, director of Liqun Group, a Qingdao-based retailer, says that the 24-hour convenience stores in Qingdao have begun to see decent profits during the evening hours. Xie says that Liqun's convenience stores which run businesses at night make about the same income as during the daytime, and food, cigarettes, and wine are best selling goods at night, particularly during the peak hours between 2AM and 3AM.

Nie believes although big differences remain between Qingdao and big cities like Beijing and Shanghai in terms of running 24-hour convenience stores, the southern part of the city offers big potential for opening 24-hour convenience stores.

There are now more than 100 24-hour convenience stores in Qingdao.