On 7 June, Sam's Supermarket officially launched a cross-border direct mail service to Hong Kong, bringing convenience and more choices to Hong Kong people.
The launch of this service not only provides Hong Kong citizens with richer shopping channels, but also has a profound impact on Hong Kong's local retail industry.
Sam's Supermarket has always been popular with Hong Kong people for its large-scale warehouse-style shopping experience and low prices.
In the past, many Hong Kong citizens traveled long distances north to Shenzhen to shop in order to enjoy Sam's low-priced goods.
Now, Sam's Market's cross-border direct mail service has completely changed that.
According to Sam's official announcement, the five highlights of this service include official direct mail, next-day arrival, home delivery or pickup, local payment methods, and dedicated Cantonese customer service.
Whether you are on Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories or even the outlying islands, Hong Kong people can enjoy this convenient service.
In terms of shipping costs, Sam's Supermarket has adopted a reasonable and transparent charging standard.
The first kilogram of home delivery is 30 RMB, with an additional 4.5 RMB for each additional kilogram, and so on.
Customers who choose the self-pickup service only need to pay 18 yuan for the first kilogram, and 4.5 yuan for each additional kilogram.
This charging model allows more Hong Kong people to enjoy cross-border shopping at a lower cost.
In addition, the maximum amount of customs clearance per order is HK$5,000, and excess orders will not be placed, ensuring the efficiency and convenience of logistics and customs clearance.
Sam's Supermarket's cross-border direct mail service also emphasizes the diversification of local payment methods.
Customers can use AlipayHK, Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay to make payments, which is convenient and fast.
At the same time, Sam's also provides exclusive Cantonese customer service, so that Hong Kong people can get timely and effective communication and service before and after shopping.
This detail not only demonstrates Sam's concern for the needs of Hong Kong people, but also demonstrates its high standards in terms of service quality.
However, the launch of Sam's Mart's Direct Mail to Hong Kong has also raised some concerns.
Li Zhaobo, an honorary research fellow at the Asia-Pacific Business School of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said that the move could have a huge impact on Hong Kong's local supermarkets and retail platforms.
Especially in the context of the current weak local retail market and high-cost operations, the entry of Sam's Supermarket is undoubtedly a major challenge for the local retail industry.
Li Zhaobo vividly compares this to "sticking multiple knives" in a tired retail market.
In recent years, Hong Kong's retail industry has been facing pressure from high rents and labor costs.
Many local supermarkets have had to raise the price of goods in order to survive, which makes shopping costs high for Hong Kong people.
Sam's Supermarket's low-price strategy is bound to attract more Hong Kong people to choose cross-border shopping, further reducing the market share of local supermarkets.
Lee believes that in order for the local retail industry to survive in such a competitive environment, it must make breakthroughs in product characteristics and service quality, and provide more products that cannot be obtained through cross-border shopping, such as fresh ingredients.
Sam's Market's cross-border direct mail service undoubtedly provides more choices and convenience for Hong Kong citizens.
Hong Kong people no longer need to go north to Shenzhen to shop, just place an order on Sam's mobile app and enjoy the convenience of next-day delivery.
In this way, it not only saves time and transportation costs, but also reduces the tediousness and fatigue of cross-border shopping.
Especially for Hong Kong people living on outlying islands or in areas with limited access, Sam's cross-border direct mail service is undoubtedly a great boon.
The launch of this service has also brought new vitality to Hong Kong's e-commerce market.
In the face of competition from Sam's Supermarket, local e-commerce platforms such as HKTVmall have expressed their welcome for more supermarkets and retailers to join the market, believing that this will promote the further development of e-commerce in Hong Kong.
In the long run, Sam's Market's cross-border direct mail service may force reform of Hong Kong's retail industry.
High commodity prices and limited choice have long been a pain point for Hong Kong's retail industry.
Sam's entry will force the local retail industry to re-examine its business strategy, optimize the supply chain, reduce costs, and improve service quality and product diversity.
Only in this way can Hong Kong's retail industry remain invincible in the fierce market competition.
In general, Sam's Supermarket's cross-border direct mail service has brought more convenience and choice to Hong Kong people, especially in terms of price, so that many citizens can enjoy more cost-effective goods.
This has not only improved the quality of life of Hong Kong people, but also promoted the reform and development of Hong Kong's retail industry to a certain extent.
In the future, with the continuous improvement and optimization of Sam's services, Hong Kong people will enjoy a more convenient and efficient shopping experience.
At the same time, it is also expected that the local retail industry can rise to the challenge, provide better goods and services, form healthy competition, and jointly reduce the high cost of living in Hong Kong.