Finding a wife who suited you was hard, and finding the right storefront for a supermarket was no easier.
For those shops that looked as pretty as flowers, the bride price for getting through their doors was anything but low.
Choosing a storefront was a highly demanding technical task.
Especially for Wang Xiaoliang, a newcomer to site selection.
After more than a year of honing his skills through actual overall management, he had gotten the hang of running a business internally. But when it came to the science of choosing a location, he was still a grade-schooler.
Taking his home as the center, he divided the surrounding areas suitable for supermarkets into four large zones. He gave up driving and chose the most basic method of walking, measuring them inch by inch.
After two days of wandering, his calves were practically cramping, and the results were discouraging.
In a prime area like this, where established shopping districts mingled with residential neighborhoods, what overlooked opportunities could possibly remain? Anywhere with decent foot traffic already had a proper supermarket.
Still, those two days had not been wasted. He had picked up a few things.
In the shopping districts with the heaviest foot traffic, supermarkets were small and attractive, their shelves stocked mostly with cigarettes, drinks, and all kinds of instant and ready-to-eat food. Those locations were essentially dominated by a handful of well-known convenience store chains, open around the clock and decorated like trendy little cafés. An independent operator like him had no way in.
Tobacco and liquor shops were the favorites in areas packed with restaurants. After a year of dealing with wholesalers, he knew there were depths to that business that a newcomer like him was not ready to venture into.
Where residential communities clustered together, things were different again.