Pagoda, one of China's biggest fruit chain retailers, recently 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. During this year's August 18 anniversary promotion, Pagoda's GMV in online operation reached 30 million yuan [4.28 million USD] in only two days.
For years, Pagoda has upheld the philosophy of customer-centric management, whereby Pagoda stands out among 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. Pagoda takes advantage of infinite display space online to offer customers a wide selection of items. Up to now, the next-day delivery service has been available in 30 cities nationwide.
In terms of product, the Pagoda team works hard to build quality fruit brands, including 27 outstanding A-level product brands. The fresh product brand "Panda Master" represents 185 products, including 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 a receipt, product or reason." In 2021, Pagoda's refund amount represented only 0.15% of its revenue. Consumers appreciate Pagoda for their "heart-to-heart retail" that grants customers the power to decide if and when to return their purchases. Winning consumer confidence has been a key factor in cost-effective management at Pagoda.
As an advocate of long-term development, Pagoda is in a constant quest for fulfillment of ESG philosophy, with a focus on sustainable development of business, agriculture, ecology, and society.
In terms of social responsibility, Pagoda has a strong conviction that "it's better to pass on fishing skills than to hand out fish." Its holding subsidiary Fruit Ally assigns tech teams 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 the use of soil analysis and fertilization design, to effectively address soil problems, including pathogens, hardening, salinization, etc. While 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 the Ningxia Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs with the intention to facilitate local implementation of BLOF technology and making "Three-Zero" vegetables an example of the high-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 during years of practice."