What has Xinxiang's 'San Pang' brought?

What has Xinxiang's 'San Pang' brought?

新乡“三胖”带来了什么

On the morning of December 23, the much-anticipated third store of Pang Donglai (hereafter as PDL), affectionately known as "San Pang" by locals, kicked off its trial operation in Xinxiang.

12月23日上午，备受新乡市民期盼的胖东来第三家门店“三胖”开启试营业。

The store is slated for its officialopening by the end of this month. In fact, even before its official launch, "San Pang"had already become an internet sensation in Xinxiang. Unlike the typical store opening, this time it isn't the "stores waitingfor customers", but rather "customers waiting for the store"—neighboring merchants have been rolling up their sleeves and gearing up for the opportunities it will bring.

这个月底，“三胖”即将正式开业。其实，“三胖”还没出生，在新乡就已经成了网红。与一般商家开业不同的是，这次不是“店等人”，而是“人等店”——周边的商户们早已摩拳擦掌、蓄势待发。

"Customers Waiting for the Store": A Quiet Anticipation

“人等店”：一场静悄悄的等待

A netizen named A Yu, who returned to Xinxiang after studying in Canada, rented an entire floor above the PDL store to open a hotel. "I'm placing my bet on this—wherever PDLgoes, a huge flow of customers follows,"he said.

网友阿宇在加拿大留学回来后直接在胖东来楼上包下一整层开酒店。“我就赌这一把，胖东来开到哪儿，人流就跟到哪儿。”他说。

He is not alone in having such ideas in Xinxiang. Mr Wang, who has been in the catering business for 8 years, decided as early as June this year to open his new restaurant directly opposite "San Pang".

像他这样有想法的人，在新乡不在少数。干了8年餐饮的老王，今年6月份就把新店的地址定在了“三胖”斜对面。

Some merchants have even started strengthening their internal capabilities a year in advance. Miss Li, who runs a convenience store on Fenghua Street, made three special trips to other cities to study and learn from successful businesses. Upon her return, she resolved, "We need to upgrade our product display, service quality, and hygiene standards. We can't just ride on PDL'scoattails—we have to make customers feel that their visit to our store is truly worthwhile!"

一些商户甚至提前一年就开始“练内功”。在丰华街经营便利店的李姐，特意去外地学习考察了三次，回来后下定决心：“陈列、服务、卫生标准都得提升，咱不能光沾胖东来的光，得让顾客觉得，来这儿一趟，值！”

This phenomenon of "customers waiting for a store to open" is unprecedented in Xinxiang's commercial history.

这种“人等店”的现象，在新乡商业史上还是头一次。

"City Boosting Business": The Evolution of Baolong (hereafter as BL) Business District

“城兴商”：宝龙商圈的进化

In fact, in anticipation of "San Pang's" debut, BLPlaza, located less than two kilometers away in a straight line, has spruced itself up well ahead of time.

事实上，面对“三胖”的亮相，直线距离不到两公里的宝龙广场也提前把自己“装扮”了一番。

On December 20, residents could spot a 6-meter-tall "GG Bond" figure standing at the entrance of BLPlaza even from across the street, as the mall gears up for the upcoming peak consumption season with this eye-catching installation.

12月20日，市民隔着马路就能看见宝龙广场门口那只6米高的“猪猪侠”，宝龙用它给即将到来的消费旺季暖场。

Zhang Xiao, the operation manager of BLPlaza, stated, "We are not here to compete head-to-head; we aim to expand the pie for everyone." To grow the market, the mall first had to replace its "underperforming tenants". This year, BLcleared out all the shops with sluggish business at once and replaced them with a row of "Xinxiang's first stores". "Everyone is talking about the first-store economy, so we're focusing on offering customers that unique, 'first-time' shopping experience," Zhang Xiao explained.

宝龙广场运营经理张晓说：“我们不是对着干，是把蛋糕一起做大。”蛋糕想做大，先得把“老面”换掉。今年，宝龙把生意冷清的铺子一次清退，换上一排“新乡首店”，“人家讲首店经济，我们就围着‘第一口鲜’做文章。”张晓说。

Even before PDLopened its doors, BLPlaza had already reaped the benefits of the positive momentum. In the first three quarters of this year, the mall saw a 15% year-on-year increase in foot traffic, along with a significant rise in sales revenue.

胖东来还没开门，宝龙先借到了东风，今年前三季度客流量同比增长15%，销售额也有明显提升。

The Advancement of Commercial Civilization

商业文明的进阶

The shift from "customers waiting for the store" to "thriving businesses boosting urban prosperity" reflects not only a transformation in the commercial landscape but also a leap forward in the city's commercial civilization.

从“人等店”到“商兴城旺”，折射的不仅是商业格局的变化，更是城市商业文明的进阶。

Its more profound impact lies in the restructuring of Xinxiang's commercial ecosystem. It is reported that a vibrant"commercial ecosystem" has formedaround "SanPang", includingsupply chain providers, delivery companies, storefront design firms, and more.

更深远的影响在于城市商业生态的重构。据了解，“三胖”周边，已经形成了一个“商业生态圈”——有做供应链的，有做配送的，有做门头设计的等等。

The opening of a single supermarket driving the development of an entire industrial chain was unimaginable in the past. This is not just the launch of a commercial project; it is a "quiet revolution" in the city's commercial civilization.

一个超市的开业，带动了一个产业链的发展，这在过去是想都不敢想的事。这不是一个简单的商业项目开业，而是一场关于城市商业文明“静悄悄的革命”。

From "customers waiting for the store" to "thriving businesses boosting urban prosperity", Xinxiangisdemonstrating, through this upcoming store opening,what true commercial progress means-not cutthroat competition, butconstant self-improvement and collective efforts to expand the market; not mereimitation and replication, but innovationthrough learning; not short-term gains, but long-term mutual growth, multi-party collaboration, and win-win outcomes.

从“人等店”到“商兴城旺”，新乡用一场即将到来的商场开业，诠释了什么是真正的商业进步——不是你争我夺的激烈竞争，而是不断超越自我，共同把市场做大；不是简单的模仿复制，而是在学习中创新；不是短期的利益争夺，而是长期的共同成长、多方协作与共赢。

Perhaps this is the most valuable insightthat "San Pang" bringsto Xinxiang's local business community.

或许，这就是“三胖”带给当地商业最有价值的启示。（来源/河南日报 记者/赵振杰任娜 翻译/吴敏）