Lately, Pagoda, China’s biggest fruit chain retailer, released its 6th New Retail Anniversary Report. The report suggests steady growth in Pagoda’s new retail business, as evidenced by over 15 million app downloads, 47 million mini program subscribers and over 5.4 million store community users hitherto in online operation. During this year’s August 18 anniversary promotion, Pagoda’s GMV in online operation hit CNY 30 million within two days merely.
For years, Pagoda has been invariably upholding the philosophy of customer-centric management, whereby Pagoda stands out in the competition with a development framework featuring comprehensive distribution channels, a variety of categories and first-rate services.
In terms of distribution channels, Pagoda has established a neighborhood-based fruit retail chain model with characteristics of online/offline integration, store/warehouse integration, timely delivery and next-day delivery, among which, next-day delivery is defined as one of the key businesses this year. By leveraging infinite space for the display of more commodities for sale online, Pagoda furnishes customers with a wide selection of items. Up to now, the next-day delivery business has been available in 30 cities nationwide.
In terms of product, Pagoda builds quality fruit brands with utmost efforts, including 27 knock-outs and level A product brands; its fresh product brand “Panda Master” has originated 185 products falling into rice, flour, grain & oil, meat, poultry, egg & milk, quick-frozen food, condiments, etc.
In terms of services, Pagoda keeps putting into practice the return policy “fruit can be returned without the receipt, physical object or reason”. In 2021, Pagoda’s refund amount represented only 0.15% of its revenue. Granting customers the decision power of return, Pagoda’s “heart-to-heart retail” has hereby been recognized by consumers. Winning consumer confidence, Pagoda reins in its management cost with effectiveness.
As an advocate of long-term development, Pagoda is in a constant quest for fulfillment of ESG philosophy, with a view to the sustainable development of enterprise, agriculture, ecology and society.
In terms of social responsibility, Pagoda has a firm conviction that “it’s better to pass on fishing skills than to hand out fish”. Its holding subsidiary Fruit Ally assigns its tech team to help establish poverty alleviation bases and impart planting knowledge to local fruit farmers, under Pagoda’s support in marketing, commercialization and branding.
Moreover, Pagoda takes multi-pronged measures, such as the introduction of BLOF technology and use of soil analysis and fertilization design, to effectively address soil problems including pathogens, hardening and salinization, etc.; making allowance for physiological growth characteristics of different crops, Pagoda deploys compost, microorganism and systemic fertilization for organic farming, so as to produce eco-friendly and nutritive agricultural products with high quality and yield but low cost.
BLOF-based “Three-Zero” vegetables are now in seasonal crop rotation across partnering bases. “Three-Zero” vegetables feature zero fertilizer, zero pesticides and zero hormones throughout plantation and production. To carry out the philosophy of rural vitalization with efficiency, Pagoda is deepening government-enterprise cooperation as well. In July this year, Pagoda concluded a strategic contract with Ningxia Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, with intention of facilitating the local implementation of BLOF technology and making “Three-Zero” vegetables exemplify the quality agricultural products of Ningxia.
Pagoda Founder & CEO Yu Huiyong said, Pagoda plans to expand to more provinces and municipalities nationwide to help boost China’s agriculture in the future, using management methods built up in years of practice.