A Study on Changes in China's Distribution Market and Firms' Response Strategies

Purpose - This study investigated the development process of the Chinese distribution industry and analyzed the current status of China's offline and online distribution industries under the development process of the Chinese distribution industry. In addition, the current status of offline distributors in China and representative companies were analyzed as case studies. Research design, data, and methodology - This study analyzed the overall environment of the Chinese distribution industry by using literature data. Then, this study conducted a case analysis using RT Mart and Jingdong, major companies in the distribution industry. Result -The main research results of this study show that the Chinese distribution market has already matured, and retailers are fiercely competing to secure sales and operating profits through various methods such as finding new management methods, improving awareness and customer loyalty by expanding the number of stores. Conclusion -Recently, the characteristic of China's distribution industry is that the boundaries of distribution are breaking down. Chinese retailers are taking strategies to expand the scope of services by erasing the boundaries of distribution. In other words, distribution companies are promoting a borderless distribution strategy in which consumers purchase products online and offline without restrictions on time and space. In addition, small stores in residential areas are on the rise compared to large-scale stores in the city center. The existing distribution industry operates various types of distribution stores to prepare for the post-COVID-19 crisis.