1526^th article   第1526期双语推文

Erqi Business District saw intense competition between local firms in the 1990s, but today its global players, including Sam's Club, Freshippo, and Metro, alongside homegrown champions like Pangdonglai and Tao Xiaopang, are pouring into Zhengzhou.

从上世纪 90 年代二七商圈硝烟弥漫的初代中原商战，到如今山姆、盒马、麦德龙接连落子，胖东来、淘小胖等本土标杆齐聚主城，国内外零售巨头不约而同加码郑州。

Three decades of commercial evolution have transformed Zhengzhou. The raw intensity of the city's early retail rivalries has produced a solid consumer base, a fiercely competitive market environment, and proven retail models that are ready for wider adoption. It has firmly established itself as a testing ground for national retail models.

三十余年商业浪潮更迭，郑州褪去初代商战的粗犷硝烟，凭借庞大消费底盘、高强度市场竞争环境、成熟可复制的零售打法，稳稳扛起全国零售 “试炼场” 的标签。

Zhengzhou was once the capital and economic heart of the Shang Dynasty. But its modern retail economy truly took off in the late 1980s and 1990s, when a fierce commercial rivalry erupted around Erqi Square. A cluster of department stores, Yaxiya (Asia Shopping Mall), Zhengzhou Department Store, Zijingshan Department Store, Commercial Mansion, Hualian Department Store, and Shangcheng Mansion, seized national attention with their retail showdown.

郑州素有 “商都” 古称，而现代商业版图的破局起点，定格在二七广场方寸之间的初代中原商战。上世纪 80 年代末至 90 年代，亚细亚商场、郑州百货大楼、紫荆山百货、商业大厦、华联商厦、商城大厦齐聚二七商圈，被业界称作郑州商业 “六朵金花”，在以二七塔为中心的核心商圈内掀起全国闻名的商业对决。

Today, Zhengzhou is once again a prime target for retail powerhouses. Behind this renewed interest lies a robust market foundation. Leveraging its status as a national central city, Zhengzhou has been harnessing consumer resources from across Henan Province. With a permanent population exceeding 13 million and 662.94 billion yuan of total retail sales of consumer goods in 2025, the city has become a focal point for consumer spending from eastern, western, and southern Henan.

时至今日，一众全国零售巨头再度争相布局郑州，背后有着扎实的市场底盘作为支撑。依托国家中心城市的虹吸效应，全省消费资源持续向郑州集聚：郑州全市常住人口突破 1300 万，2025年社会消费品零售总额6629.4亿元，豫东、豫西、豫南各地消费需求持续向主城释放购买力。

What truly distinguishes Zhengzhou, however, is how decades of intense local competition have created a demanding market environment that refines and validates retail business models. Pangdonglai, a supermarket chain deeply rooted in Henan, has reset consumer expectations with its transparent pricing, exceptional after-sales service, and good working environment for staff. It has raised the bar for consumers in the province.

而郑州之所以被称作零售业“练兵场”，还在于本土长期高强度竞争形成的严苛市场环境。以胖东来为行业标尺，这家深耕河南的商超企业，用透明定价、极致售后服务、员工人性化管理重构大众对商超的认知，拉高了全省消费者的消费期待与评判标准。

In response, a host of local players have rapidly evolved, including Tao Xiaopang, Fresh Mart, Huayu Baijia, and Mr. Liu. Whether they are national chains expanding into the city or homegrown brands, all are stepping up, improving the quality of their products, refining their services, and streamlining their supply chains. A single misstep, and customers can switch to local competitors.

在胖东来的示范效应下，淘小胖、鲜风生活、华豫佰佳、农夫刘先生一众本土商超快速成长。不管是外来进驻的全国连锁巨头，还是本土成长的商超品牌，都必须同步优化商品品质、打磨精细化服务、精简供应链链路，稍有松懈便会被本地竞品分流客源。

For national retail giants, Zhengzhou is a laboratory where business models are stress-tested. Any business model that succeeds in this fiercely competitive environment is likely to be adaptable and competitive in most other Chinese cities.

对全国零售巨头而言，入驻郑州等同于进入天然 “压力测试实验室”，在郑州激烈竞争中跑通的经营模式，放到国内绝大多数城市都具备适配性与竞争力。

Through the fierce retail rivalries of the 1990s and today's gathering of industry leaders, Zhengzhou's retail character may have evolved, but its competitive essence remains. A massive consumer market provides the foundation; fierce competition tests and strengthens resilience; and the success of export-oriented brands demonstrates the city's role as a testing ground. The convergence of multiple dynamics has established Zhengzhou as the benchmark for testing and refining China's retail models.

从数十年前二七商圈改写中国零售业发展轨迹，到如今各路巨头奔赴郑州开启新一轮业态比拼，郑州的零售底色从未改变。亿级消费市场提供生存土壤，白热化市场竞争完成能力淬炼，出海品牌的亮眼成绩兑现练兵价值，多重逻辑交织，让郑州坐稳全国零售业“练兵场”的位置。