Xu Lingling, chief financial officer at Lianhua, says that whereas big foreign players, such as Carrefour, have taken top sites in large cities, Chinese chains may be better suited to mid-sized towns where productivity is lower.
Bailian Group of Shanghai, whose domestically well-known businesses include the Shanghai Friendship Group and Lianhua Supermarket, led a list of top chain stores in China published by the China Chain Store and Franchise Association earlier this month.