Small grocers’ neighbourhood links can help them beat price war, experts say

Latest price war erupted ahead of Mother’s Day with ParknShop, Wellcome offering 12 per cent off for shoppers who met minimum spending threshold

Hong Kong’s smaller grocers are bracing for pressure amid a fresh wave of price cuts by supermarkets and big retail chains, but some economists say their “neighbourhood connection” could help them stay afloat.

A lawmaker also said it was unlikely the big local chains would monopolise the market citing strong competition from online shopping platforms.

The latest price war erupted ahead of Mother’s Day on Sunday, with CK Hutchison-backed ParknShop and Jardine Matheson’s Wellcome each offering 12 per cent off everything in their stores for shoppers who met a minimum spending threshold on Saturday.

HKTVmall, the city’s popular online shopping platform, vowed to stay competitive and rolled out a year-long campaign, allowing customers to enjoy a 15 per cent discount.

Yata, a popular Japanese-style department store and supermarket chain, launched a “shopping campaign” on Friday that runs until May 17, with discounts of up to 80 per cent on selected items.

Liberal Party lawmaker Peter Shiu Ka-fai, who represents the wholesale and retail sector, said the recent price war was a normal market adjustment.