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外资零售商的“多事之春”：家乐福和百思买的中国困境CarrefourinChina:WhenthePriceIsn'tRight[2011-03-1816:05]点击查看中文全文LikeotherbigholidayseasonsinChina,January'sLunarNewYearwasaslowtimefornews.ButperhapsnotasslowasFrenchfirmCarrefourmighthaveliked.AsNewYearrevelersheadedtotheirlocalstorestostockupforthefestiveseason,manycouldn'thelpbutnoticethatthepricestheywerepayingatCarrefour'scheck-outcounterswerehigherthanexpected.Allofasudden,theworld'ssecond-largestretailchain(afterWal-Mart)--andoneofChina'stopfive--founditselfintheheadlinesinthecountry'snewspapersforallthewrongreasons,andnotjustbecauseofanationalpricingscandalembroilingsomeofitsstores.Publicwranglingwithoneofitsbiggestsuppliersalsoprovidedplentyofnewsfodder.AndwhilenewscoverageofCarrefourisnowdyingdown,itisn'tintheclearjustyetasitsettlesrecordfineswithgovernmentregulatorsandwadesthroughstickycontractnegotiationswithkeysuppliers.Forbetterorforworse,Carrefourisingoodcompany.OtherforeignretailersinChinahavealsostumbledrecently.InJanuary,HomeDepot,aUS-basedretailerandthebiggesthomeimprovementchainintheworld,confirmedthatitshuttereditsremainingstoreinBeijing--its5thclosureintwoyears--leavingjustsevenofthestoresitacquiredfromlocalchainHomeWayin2006.Andearlierthismonth,UStoy-makerMattelcloseditsloss-makingflagshipShanghaiBarbieventure,onlytwoyearsaftercuttingtheribbononthesix-story,multimillion-dollarstore.Meanwhile,USelectronicsgiantBestBuyisbeginninganewChinastrategyafteritssurpriseannouncementafewweeksagothatallnineofitsstoresinChinawillceaseoperating,leavinghundredsofstaffandmanycustomershighanddry.Likethesemultinationals,CarrefourhasalotridingonitsChinabusiness.Inthemidstofagroupturnaroundplanlaunchedin2009andaftertwoprofitwarningsin2010,Carrefour'sheadofficeinParishasanewmultiprongedglobalstrategy,involvingnotonlystoreclosuresinRussia,assetsalesinThailandandaspinoffofitsdiscountchainDia,butalsorampingupinChina,amongotheremergingmarkets.Thoughaccountingforaround5billioneuro(US$7billion)ofthegroup's90billioneuroannualrevenue,ChinaisoneofCarrefour'slargestmarketsoutsideWesternEurope,andtheretailercontinuestoexpandnationwide,withits177thhypermarketinthecountryhavingopenedonDecember31inthecityofShenyang.Restassured,competitionisstiff.AccordingtotheChinaChainStoreBusinessAssociation,Bailianisamongthecountry'sstate-ownedheavyweightsthatdominatestheretailsector,butRT-Mart,aTaiwan-basedcompanythatismajorityownedbyFrenchretailerGroupeAuchan,andWal-Martareamongtheforeignplayersholdingtheirown.Withitsgrubby,crowdedandchaoticshopfloors,Carrefour,meanwhile,isfightingitoutatthelowendofthemarket,wheremarginsarerazorthinandpricingpressuresareintense.BigGuyvs.LittleGuyAttheheartofrecenttensionsisthegenerallytempestuousrelationshipbetweenretailersandsuppliersinChina.Partoftheproblemisamarketimbalance,accordingtoaspokespersonattheCommerceMinistry,whosaysthecountryhastoomanysuppliersandtoofewmajorretailers,givingthelattertremendousleverageovereventhelargestsupplier.That'snottosayretailershaveiteasy.Tohitevertougherperformanceexpectationslaiddownbycorporateheadquarters,largelocalandforeignretailersstandaccusedofsqueezing,evenbullying,suppliers--pittingonesupplieragainstanotherinbiddingwars,draggingoutpaymenttermsandcuttingdealsthathavesteadilybeenincreasingtheamountoffeesandcommissionstheychargetostockparticulargoods.It'sbynomeansanewphenomenon,butitisintensifying.Some20yearsago,suppliersinChinatypicallypaidretailersacommissionorrebateof4%onthesalesoftheirgoods,accordingtomanagementconsultantsMcKinsey;today,they'repayingbetween10%and15%.Butaccordingtoamanageratalong-timeCarrefoursupplier,theFrenchfirmischargingmorethan20%,forcingsmallercompaniesintoacorner.Onlybigmanufacturers…aretoughenoughtostopsupplyingCarrefourwhenitasksforhigherrebates,saysthemanager.Smallsupplierslikeus…justhavetodoaswe'retoldifitasksustopaymorerebates.Anditdoesn'tstopthere.Suppliersfaceahostofotherfees,sometimesintheformofunder-the-tablekickbacks.YaoWenhua,arepresentativeoftheBeijingSuppliersAssociation,saysthatunlikecommissionsorrebates,someofthesefeesareleviedbyindividualstoressotheydon'tappearincontractsinordertostayoffheadoffice'sradar.It'salsocommonformanufacturerstopayretailerspromotionalfeesforshowcasingaparticularproductonstoreshelves.Alltold,saysanothersupplier,feescanreachasmuchas30%ofsales,whichaddsuptoaheftypricetopayforkeepingabigcustomerhappy.ItwasovercommissionsthatadisagreementeruptedinDecemberbetweenCarrefourandTaiwan'sTinghsinGroup,thecompanybehindgreaterChina'sbiggestinstantnoodlebrandcalledMasterKong.Atanimpasse,it'sreportedMasterKongrefusedtosupplysomeofitsproductstoCarrefourforseveralweeksandthesupplywasresumedafterlateFebruary.AtadifferenttimeinCarrefour'shistory,thedisagreementprobablywouldhavebeennoticedbyjustafewcompanymanagers.Afterall,asexpertsnote,losingabigsupplierisn'tashow-stopperpersesincethereareplentyofcompetitorswillingtofillthevoid.What'smore,saysMaRuiGuang,presidentofYiMaManagementConsultantsinShenzhen,suchtusslesarearegularoccurrencewhencontractsareupforrenegotiationandbothsideswanttogain