Chapter 236: Carrefour Supermarket Becomes an Instant Sensation
The staff member continued smiling as she said, "Yes, all the products have price tags. If you find the price acceptable, you can simply take the item. Just make sure to check out up front when you're done."
"Alright, thank you." The middle-aged woman nodded quickly in thanks, and the staff member politely moved on—there were many people who still needed explanations.
The woman turned to her companion and said, "Being able to check the price yourself is really convenient."
The man beside her agreed, "Absolutely. I always hated going to grocery or department stores and having to ask the price of everything. If you asked too many times, the shopkeepers would start getting annoyed, and then I'd feel awkward. This way, everything is out in the open—we can compare prices and take our time choosing. It's just so much more comfortable."
"Let's go get some snacks," the woman said with a grin, spotting a display of packaged treats nearby.
…
Elsewhere in the store, many customers wandered through the aisles with wide eyes and curious expressions—as if they were seeing something completely new for the first time.
In their hands were plastic shopping baskets, picked up from the front of the supermarket. Shoppers could simply place any item they liked directly into their basket.
This kind of self-service shopping experience was completely unprecedented.
On the other side of the store, a lot of people had headed straight for the electronics section.
Televisions, refrigerators, radios—even home air conditioners—were displayed side by side, each clearly marked with a price tag for easy comparison.
"So many TVs!" a woman said with delight. She turned to the man beside her. "We've been meaning to get one. It's perfect—they're all here in one place. We can compare them easily."
The man nodded. "Yeah, way easier than hopping from one store to another. In other malls, electronics shops aren't grouped together—you end up running all over the place."
The two of them began browsing the TV displays, eyeing the different sizes and specs. The clearly marked prices made it easy to narrow down their choice.
Just then, a staff member approached them and said, "Today is Carrefour Supermarket's grand opening. If you make a purchase, you'll receive a 5% discount."
"Five percent?" the man asked. "Miss, can't you give us a bit more off?"
Still smiling, the staffer replied, "Sir, all our prices are fixed. You're welcome to compare them outside. I think you'll find we're already offering very competitive rates."
"Fixed prices?" the man was puzzled. Even luxury malls usually allowed for some bargaining.
But he also had to admit—the prices here really were cheaper than at most other places.
The staff member added, "Because we display clear, transparent prices, we don't haggle. If you like the price, you buy. If you don't, that's fine too. This saves you time and avoids unnecessary back-and-forth."
"Interesting way of doing business," the man said thoughtfully. "But yeah… it is convenient."
The staffer smiled again. "Saving customers time and effort is one of Carrefour's core principles. Our prices are fixed and clearly marked. They might change in the future, but whatever price you see at that moment—that's what you pay."
"Got it." The man nodded. "Do you offer delivery?"
Hearing that there was a potential sale, the staff member's smile widened. "Of course. If you give us your address, we'll deliver to your home within seven days—for free, if you live on Hong Kong Island. For Kowloon, there may be a fee."
"Seven days just for delivery on the island? Isn't that a bit much?" he asked.
"Under normal conditions, we deliver within three days. But today's been especially busy…" the staffer explained.
"Fair enough." The man looked around and saw the crowd. Lots of people were buying appliances—it was easy to imagine the logistics pressure.
The staff member beamed. "Great! Let me know which TV you've decided on, and I'll note it down. For large items, you don't need to line up at the front registers. You can pay directly with us. We'll give you a stamped receipt as proof of purchase. It includes a phone number in case you need after-sales service or repairs."
"Sounds good." The man nodded again.
Being able to request service later was an added convenience.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the store, a journalist with a camera was walking around, observing and casually placing items into his basket.
"It really is self-service. Everything's priced and ready to go," he said.
"Yeah, Brother Li, this is way too convenient," said a young female journalist beside him.
"Ah Zhen, make sure to get more shots of ordinary citizens shopping," Brother Li said. "I'm putting together a report on the convenience of this shopping model. Sure, media outlets already promoted the grand opening, but I want a piece that captures it from a common person's perspective."
"Got it," Ah Zhen nodded. "Let's split up and each take photos from different areas. We'll regroup later and combine our material."
"Good plan. Also, try to get some quick interviews—make sure we have textual quotes too," Li reminded her. He looked at his own basket and said, "I'll just leave my stuff here for now. No one's going to take it, right?"
"No way," Ah Zhen laughed. "We haven't even checked out yet. This place isn't like the usual department stores—there, you have to keep your items in your hands at all times."
Li nodded. "You're right. We should also do a comparative analysis between this and traditional malls. That'll give the story more depth."
"Okay," Ah Zhen said, scanning the growing crowd. "I'll cover the east side. You take the west."
"Got it." Li moved off, camera in hand.
In the middle of the crowd, he began looking for interesting faces and expressions. Camera film wasn't cheap—he couldn't afford to shoot randomly.
Elsewhere in the store, a team of young men were gathered with a video camera labeled with the logo of "Rediffusion."
"Make sure to get good footage. This will be on the evening news. Once we're done, we'll head back at noon and get it edited right away," a middle-aged man instructed.
"Don't worry, Brother Wei. We know what to do. We'll get plenty of good shots," one of the younger crew members assured him.
Everyone was in full action mode. The opening of this new Carrefour had become more than just a business story—it was turning into a social event, a symbol of how Hong Kong's retail scene was changing. The birth of a new consumer culture was happening right in front of their eyes.
"Mm." Brother Wei nodded thoughtfully, then said, "You know, this kind of store—they're calling it a supermarket—is really convenient. I'm actually tempted to buy a few things myself. No need to go from stall to stall asking prices like in those other places—it's such a hassle."
"Exactly! Here you can see everything in one go and just buy whatever you want," one of the younger crew members laughed. "I don't think I'll ever want to shop anywhere else again."
Brother Wei shook his head. "It's just a bit too far from home. It's convenient, sure, but I'm not going to travel halfway across Hong Kong Island just to buy a few things."
The young man replied, "That's how it is now, but Carrefour is backed by Yang Wendong. With business booming like this, there's no way he'll stop at just one store. Who knows? In another year or two, we might have one near our place."
"Fair point." Brother Wei nodded. "Even if he doesn't expand, I bet other companies will jump on this model too."
"Mr. Yang's not going to make that mistake," the younger man said in a lower voice. "I've heard that Changxing Real Estate has been buying up large ground-floor and double-floor properties all around Central, Admiralty, and Wan Chai. He's definitely planning to open more Carrefours."
"How would you know about that?" Brother Wei asked, raising an eyebrow.
They were in the media business, so they had access to insider info, but real estate deals happened daily—it was rare for anyone to pay attention to the smaller transactions unless it involved major properties.
The young man hesitated, scratched his head awkwardly, and admitted, "One of those properties they bought... used to belong to my family."
"Your family's?" Brother Wei was stunned. Had he been working alongside a secretly rich heir all this time? Someone just "experiencing life" at Rediffusion?
The young man chuckled. "Let's focus on the shoot, Brother Wei. This place is a real standout. We've got to deliver a solid segment. I heard Mr. Yang personally invited us. The higher-ups are serious about building a partnership with him."
"Right, of course." Brother Wei nodded.
Everyone in Rediffusion knew who Yang Wendong was. This was their first collaboration with him, and the executives were eager to establish ties with the rising star of the Chinese business world. Television stations needed money just like any other business.
"Let's head to the checkout area," the young man suggested. "It's packed over there."
"Sounds good." Brother Wei followed.
When they arrived at the checkout counters, they saw nearly 20 people tallying up purchases. One worker sat to the side, calculating prices by hand.
"Business is great—but it's a bit slow at the register," Brother Wei said with a chuckle. "Camera, focus in."
"Yeah, a little slow," the young man agreed. "But people lining up means good business. Some stores would kill for this kind of traffic."
"True." Brother Wei nodded. "Let's grab a few interviews after this. I want some real customer feedback to use in the segment."
"Got it," the young man said.
Meanwhile, in the center of the store, two Western businessmen stood watching the bustling crowd. One of them sighed and said, "Lincoln, we're too late."
Lincoln also sighed. "Yeah… a real shame. We weren't the only smart ones—but to think a Chinese entrepreneur would pull it off before us."
He continued, "But there's a silver lining. If Carrefour takes off in Hong Kong, it'll naturally drive the development of the supply chain. That means if we want to get into supermarkets later, things will be much easier. You know we hesitated for so long about entering the Hong Kong market because the supply chain was too complex and costly."
"That's true," the other man said. "But I'm more worried about Carrefour's backing. Yang Wendong's financial resources far surpass what we have left at Watson's. All our departments are bleeding money. If Carrefour expands quickly, we may be locked out of the market entirely."
"That's not something we can control," Lincoln said, shaking his head. "I've heard Hutchison is interested in acquiring us."
"Hutchison? Well, that wouldn't be so bad. Better than watching Watson's slowly rot away."
Back inside Carrefour, every corner of the store was alive with energy. Everyone was astonished by this new way of shopping. It was just so convenient, and people were genuinely enjoying themselves. For many, it was an entirely new experience.
Yang Wendong himself was also in the store, walking the aisles with a few friends. Most of the dignitaries and businesspeople who had attended the ribbon-cutting had left by now.
Looking around at the crowds, Zheng Yutong commented, "Mr. Yang, this place is drawing a huge crowd. Impressive."
Yang smiled. "It's a new kind of shopping experience, and I've been promoting it in the media for weeks. That's part of why we've got such good turnout."
Owning part of the media meant having access to invaluable resources—ones that couldn't always be bought with money. When Yang needed publicity, he could focus all efforts on a single target with unmatched efficiency.
Zheng nodded. "Yeah, being able to shop without asking prices is a big plus. Also cuts down on staffing costs."
"Not by much," Yang replied, shaking his head. "You still need workers to put price tags on everything, and you've got to make sure nothing's mislabeled. That alone takes a lot of manpower."
Although barcode technology had been invented decades earlier, there were no scanners or integrated systems in place. Without the proper infrastructure, barcodes were useless.
In fact, widespread use of barcodes wouldn't happen until the early 1980s. It wouldn't be until the 21st century that it became standard everywhere, requiring not just hardware but a unified supply chain to print and manage barcodes at the production level.
Until then, supermarkets had to rely on the old-fashioned "manual intelligence" method—price tags.
And that was labor-intensive. You needed a team just to stick labels, and another team to make sure they were correct.
Zheng nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, sticking all those tags must take a lot of time and effort. Still, with a shopping experience like this, I'd gladly pay a little more for the convenience. If I needed to buy household goods, I'd come here even if the prices weren't the lowest."
"Exactly," Yang said with a grin. "That's the true strength of the supermarket model."
In truth, Carrefour's current prices weren't significantly lower than those of traditional department stores. The main reason was simple—this was the only location so far, which meant no way to reduce costs through volume. If the property weren't owned outright, launching a store like this would be nearly impossible for the average person.
Only when the number of stores grew and purchasing and transportation reached scale could costs be driven down.
Zheng Yutong thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Yang, my shopping mall is scheduled to open next June. Originally, I was planning to bring in a small department store, but how about you opening a Carrefour there instead?"
"How much space can you offer?" Yang Wendong asked.
"5,000 square feet—how does that sound?" Zheng replied.
"Five thousand?" Yang shook his head. "That's a bit too small. Our current store here is 15,000 square feet."
In mainland China during his previous life, supermarkets often reached tens of thousands of square meters or more. Of course, in Hong Kong, such massive spaces weren't feasible due to the high cost of land and dense urban environment.
In fact, most Hong Kong supermarkets in his previous life were relatively small to medium-sized. But in less central areas during this era, a large-scale supermarket was still possible.
Even so, 5,000 square feet in Central was far too small. Carrefour's model relied on scale to draw crowds and reduce operational costs.
Zheng Yutong asked, "My mall isn't as big as yours. What's the minimum size Carrefour needs?"
"10,000 square feet," Yang replied.
"That's still too much…" Zheng frowned slightly. "How about 8,000? I'll see if I can combine two floors."
"Let's do this," Yang said. "I'll have someone check out the site first."
"Fair enough," Zheng agreed.
They walked over to the checkout area and noticed a TV camera crew filming the crowd.
Zheng Yutong chuckled. "Mr. Yang, if this makes it onto television, Carrefour's name is going to be everywhere."
"Indeed, though not many people in Hong Kong have TVs yet," Yang nodded.
He had specifically invited the television station to cover the event for increased visibility.
At this time, television sets were still expensive, and subscriptions to Rediffusion's cable service were even pricier—HK$25 per month, which many households simply couldn't afford.
The upside was that those who did have TVs were generally more affluent. So the exposure would at least target high-value customers.
Zheng added, "I hear that overseas, wireless TV stations are becoming the trend. I imagine Hong Kong won't be far behind."
"Probably," Yang said, nodding.
After a while, Zheng took his leave. Yang turned to the only guest who hadn't yet left—Louis Cha (Jin Yong). "Mr. Cha, how about we find a spot in the mall to grab a bite?"
"Sure," Jin Yong said. "Let me settle the bill first."
Yang laughed. "You're the only one I invited today who actually came here to shop."
Jin Yong replied with a smile, "Of course. I'm honored you invited me. But the rest of your guests—business leaders and government officials—don't exactly do their own shopping."
"True," Yang nodded. He himself didn't buy household goods. "Mr. Cha, how about I cover your purchases today?"
"No way," Jin Yong shook his head. "I don't want to owe you a favor over something like this. Actually, I'm planning to write an article about today—describing how convenient this shopping experience is. Would you mind?"
"You're writing it personally? With your name on it?" Yang asked in surprise.
Even if it wasn't related to martial arts fiction, any article with Jin Yong's byline would attract readers. And with his exceptional writing skills, even mundane topics became compelling stories in his hands.
Jin Yong nodded. "Yes. This Carrefour store is truly bringing convenience to the people of Hong Kong. It saves so much time. If your business continues to succeed and you open more branches, everyone—including me—will benefit."
"Wonderful. I'd be honored." Yang glanced at the items in Jin Yong's basket and turned to an assistant. "Ah Ying, help Mr. Cha queue at the checkout, please. Mr. Cha, shall we head up first?"
"Sure." Jin Yong handed over his basket. "I'll pay later."
The group headed up to the third floor of the mall, where the dining area was located. After scanning a few storefronts, Jin Yong remarked, "Your supermarket downstairs feels a bit like a buffet."
"A little bit," Yang nodded. "Would you like to try a buffet?"
"No thanks. I always end up eating too much at those," Jin Yong said, shaking his head. "Let's find a simple eatery."
"There's a dumpling shop up ahead—how about that?"
"Perfect," Jin Yong agreed.
The group made their way to Yun Kee Dumpling House. Every restaurant was packed, but Yang used his influence to secure a private room.
After placing their orders, Yang said, "Mr. Cha, beyond the opening celebration today, there's something else I wanted to share with you—Honghua Daily is preparing to launch a mainstream edition."
"A general newspaper?" Jin Yong wasn't surprised. "Makes sense. You've done very well in the premium segment, so it's only natural to branch into mass media."
"Yes," Yang confirmed. "We targeted the high-end initially to attract affluent customers. But in the long run, the biggest market in the newspaper industry is the general public."
When he first entered the media world, he focused on upscale positioning to break into the industry, using the allure of full-color print to carve out a niche. At the time, he lacked the capital and influence to compete directly with established players who had decades of experience.
Now, however, Honghua Daily had become a recognized premium brand, with daily sales between 8,000 and 10,000 copies—a number that would only grow as Hong Kong's economy strengthened.
Still, explosive growth had likely plateaued. If he wanted to expand further, he needed to target the mainstream newspaper market—where potential circulation could be ten times greater.
Jin Yong nodded. "That's true. The bulk of newspaper sales always come from ordinary people. And with Hong Kong's economy improving, more and more people can afford to buy newspapers. But tell me, Mr. Yang—why are you telling me this? You're not hoping I'll help promote your new paper, are you?"
"Haha, not quite." Yang Wendong explained, "Mr. Cha, you and I are friends by now. In the past, many of my advertising and promotion needs were handled through Ming Pao. But now that I'm starting a new newspaper, one that will compete directly with Ming Pao, I figured you'd find out sooner or later—better I tell you upfront."
Jin Yong smiled. "You're too polite, Mr. Yang. It's just business. Even if you weren't getting into general readership, those ad orders weren't guaranteed to come my way. Honestly, I expected this move from you. Once any entrepreneur reaches a certain scale, they look to expand—and the most logical route is to diversify within their existing industry."
"That's true," Yang nodded. "But I still believe in keeping partners informed. Besides, there's always the chance we'll work together again. My media group won't be able to absorb all my advertising needs alone."
A regular newspaper—even a well-known one like Sing Tao Daily, which sold tens of thousands of copies a day—wasn't particularly impressive in Yang Wendong's eyes now. But Jin Yong was different. He was destined to become a cultural icon, and it was well worth maintaining a good relationship with him.
Most importantly, Jin Yong's famous wuxia novels were only halfway through development. Several of his most classic works hadn't even been started yet. When Yang eventually moved his media focus from print to screen, whether it be television or film, adapting Jin Yong's novels would bring a qualitative leap.
"Thank you for the consideration," Jin Yong replied with a smile.
For someone of Yang's status to speak to him so candidly was a show of great respect.
"Alright," Yang said, letting the topic drop. There was no need to go into too much detail—he didn't want to risk making Jin Yong uncomfortable. It wasn't a major issue, after all.
After lunch, Ah Ying brought up the items Jin Yong had purchased earlier. They were packed into an old canvas bag, worn from use.
Yang frowned slightly at the sight. Ah Ying hurried to explain, "Mr. Yang, I couldn't find a decent shopping bag on short notice. My apologies."
"Shopping bag?" Yang asked. "So customers at our supermarket have to bring their own?"
"Yes," Ah Ying replied. "Or use one of the in-store baskets."
"What about elsewhere? Other malls or department stores?" Yang asked again.
He remembered that when he first started out as a street vendor, buyers often carried cloth bags or woven baskets. There had been no plastic bags back then. But that wasn't a matter of lacking an idea—it was a limitation of available materials. Even if he'd thought of it earlier, he couldn't have acted on it.
Ah Ying answered, "It's the same everywhere. Some upscale stores provide paper bags."
"Alright, we'll leave it for now," Yang said, not blaming his staff. It was something he hadn't considered either. And given the short time frame, it wasn't realistic to expect a perfect solution.
Jin Yong didn't seem to mind. Taking the bag, he said, "Thanks. How much do I owe you for this?"
Ah Ying glanced at Yang, received his nod, and gave the total.
After paying, Jin Yong said, "Well then, Mr. Yang, I'll be on my way."
"Let's go together," Yang replied. "I'm heading to the car park as well."
"Perfect." Jin Yong chuckled.
By afternoon, Changxing Mall had quieted somewhat compared to the morning rush, though foot traffic remained strong.
Inside Carrefour, the crowds had thinned slightly, but checkout lines were still long.
"Old Liu, can't we speed things up at the registers?" Yang asked.
He was visibly anxious watching the long lines. If customers lost patience and walked out, it would be a waste of good business.
Liu Huayu replied, "Mr. Yang, there's not much more we can do to speed up individual counters. The people I've hired are all good at math. The only way is to add more checkout lanes—but that would take up more space."
"Do it anyway," Yang decided. "We can reduce shelf space a bit if we have to. We'll adjust as needed."
In an era without electronic calculators, all math had to be done by hand. Mechanical calculators did exist, but they were complicated, expensive, and heavy—marvels of engineering with little real-world usability in retail.
"Understood." Liu nodded. "To be honest, Mr. Yang, I underestimated Carrefour's success. We weren't fully prepared."
"It's fine," Yang said. "No business ever goes perfectly. And this is a good kind of mistake. What you need to do now is start building systems. Use this store as your model, train staff, refine processes, and prepare to expand."
"Got it, Mr. Yang," Liu said with a broad grin.
Joining Yang's team in Hong Kong had been a gamble, but now it looked like he'd bet on the right horse. He might even be happier than the boss himself and was ready to throw everything into building the Carrefour chain.
…
That night, Yang stayed at the mall, waiting for the day's final numbers.
Knock knock knock. The door opened, and Liu Huayu walked in with visible excitement. "Mr. Yang, here are the numbers! Today, Carrefour welcomed 7,126 customers and sold HK$356,000 worth of goods. This figure already beats most of Walmart's branches. I doubt even in the U.S. they see numbers like this in a single day!"
"Three hundred fifty-six thousand?" Yang's eyes lit up. "Excellent. Tonight, take all the staff out for a late-night meal—everyone. And give each person a red envelope. Let's celebrate properly."
HK$356,000 might not sound like much by modern standards, but in 1960s Hong Kong, that was enough to buy six or seven apartments in Central—each over 1,000 square feet.
Of course, comparing it directly to real estate prices wasn't entirely accurate, but the number was still staggering.
To call it a "smash hit" wouldn't be an exaggeration at all.
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