Chapter 917
The First Galaxy Supermarket Opens
Tangdu, High-tech Zone.
At six o'clock in the morning, just as dawn was breaking, a long queue had already formed in the square in front of the Yinhe Supermarket Tangdu flagship store.
The line meandered along the edge of the plaza, around the massive silver building of the Galaxy Department Store, and extended all the way to the subway station exit at the street corner.
Most of the people queuing were elderly, carrying cloth bags, some with folding stools, some wrapped in light coats, and some carrying thermos cups—the scene resembled a supermarket opening with people scrambling to buy discounted eggs.
But the people queuing up today aren't here to grab eggs.
"They're here! They're here!" someone at the front of the line shouted.
The crowd stirred, everyone standing on tiptoe, craning their necks, and looking in the same direction.
A commuter bus with the words "Galaxy Supermarket Employee Shuttle" on it slowly drove into the underground parking lot.
A sign on the bus window reads: "Treat employees like family, and customers like relatives."
In the queue, an elderly man with gray hair stared at the words for a long time, then turned to the person next to him and said, "This slogan is quite novel. Don't supermarkets usually treat customers like gods? Why are they acting like family here?"
A young man wearing glasses next to him laughed: "Sir, God is fictitious, but family is real. You'll see when you go in."
The old man gave a skeptical "Oh" and continued queuing.
At 7 a.m., the first batch of employees entered the mall through the employee entrance.
They wore matching uniforms—not the typical red, yellow, and blue plastic work clothes, but simple, dark blue polo shirts with a silver "River" logo embroidered on the left chest. They wore dark gray trousers and non-slip black work boots.
A young man in this uniform came out of the employee entrance and called out to the line: "Good morning, uncles, aunts, grandpas and grandmas! I am Xiao Li, a customer service representative from Galaxy Supermarket. Our mall does not open until eight o'clock. Please come in and have a glass of water. It's windy outside, so don't catch a cold."
Behind him, several colleagues pushed out several small carts, which were filled with cases of mineral water and disposable paper cups.
"Free water?" someone in the line asked.
"Yes, it's free. Everyone's been queuing for so long, you must be thirsty, right?" Xiao Li smiled and handed over a glass of water.
The group immediately became lively.
Some people accepted the water, some waved their hands and said they didn't need it, and some muttered under their breath, "This supermarket is pretty good at handling things."
An elderly woman took the water, took a sip, and suddenly asked, "Young man, what's the relationship between your supermarket and Pang Donglai? My daughter said you're modeled after Pang Donglai?"
Xiao Li paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Grandma, you're right. Our chairman went to Pang Donglai to learn from them, and even invited Mr. Yu Donglai to be our honorary chairman. But we are Yinhe Supermarket, and we have our own unique features. You'll see when you go inside later."
The old lady nodded and then asked, "So, are the salaries of your employees really as high as the internet says? Seven or eight thousand a month?"
Xiao Li scratched his head sheepishly: "Grandma, you're really well-informed, but our salaries are kept secret, so we can't just say it."
The old lady pursed her lips: "I know even if you don't say it. My daughter said that you are 'paying high salaries to encourage integrity'. The higher the salary, the better the service."
Xiao Li was both amused and exasperated. Just as he was about to explain, a colleague behind him called out, "Brother Li, the water's all gone, bring another case!"
He responded and turned to run back to fetch water.
Within the group, murmurs rose and fell.
At 7:40, Zhao Mingyuan, general manager of Yinhe Supermarket Tangdu flagship store, appeared at the mall entrance with a group of managers.
They stood in a row and bowed to the customers in line: "Thank you for your hard work and patience!"
Some people in the team clapped, some took photos, and some cheered, "You guys are the ones who are working hard, not us!"
Zhao Mingyuan walked to the front of the line and said to an elderly woman with completely white hair, "Auntie, how long have you been waiting?"
"Less than two hours."
The old lady had a shrewd look on her face as she said, "My daughter sent me here. She said your supermarket is good, the things are cheap, and the service is good. I just wanted to see just how good it really is."
Zhao Mingyuan smiled and said, "Then you must give us your feedback later. If there's anything you don't like, we'll fix it right away."
The old lady immediately laughed and said, "You young man, you have a very pleasant way of speaking."
At 8:00 a.m. sharp, the doors of the Yinhe Supermarket Tangdu flagship store slowly opened.
The first customers flooded into the mall, and then everyone was stunned.
They've seen supermarkets before, but never one like this.
Instead of the usual promotional displays at the entrance, there was a huge green wall with the words "Welcome Home" spelled out in flowers.
Beneath the green wall is a row of neat shopping carts, but they are not the kind of metal carts commonly found in supermarkets. Instead, they are lightweight, silver-gray carts with soft rubber covers on the handlebars, making them silent when pushed.
The most eye-catching feature is that a sales assistant stands next to each shopping cart.
They weren't the traditional sales assistants who stood behind the counter waiting for customers; instead, they proactively approached, smiling and asking, "Hello, would you like me to introduce something to you?"
The elderly woman at the front of the line was greeted by a young saleswoman: "Grandma, are you alone? Would you like me to accompany you while you shop?"
The old lady was a little embarrassed: "I'm old and my legs aren't good. I can't walk fast, and I'm afraid I'll take up your time."
The sales assistant smiled and took her arm: "Grandma, don't say that. We have wheelchairs here. If you get tired, I'll push you around. By the way, what do you want to buy? I can help you plan your route so you don't have to run back and forth."
The old lady's eyes lit up: "Really?"
"Of course it's true."
The sales assistant took out a small notebook from her pocket and said, "Please tell me, I'll write it down."
The old lady thought for a moment and said, "I'd like to buy some fruit, some meat, eggs, milk, laundry detergent... Oh, and my grandson loves snacks, any good recommendations?"
The sales assistant took notes as she spoke: "Grandma, the fruit section is on the first floor, east side; the meat is in the fresh produce section; the eggs and milk are in the refrigerated section; the laundry detergent is in the household goods section; and the snacks are on the second floor. I suggest we go to the first floor first, buy the fruit, meat, eggs, and milk, then take the escalator up to the second floor to buy the snacks, and finally go to the household goods section. This route is the most convenient and avoids backtracking."
The old lady looked at her in surprise: "How do you know so much?"
The sales assistant smiled shyly: "We had a month of training before opening. We memorized what each section of the mall sells, how to get there the shortest way, and which products are the most popular."
The old lady exclaimed, "This training was definitely worth it!"
The two pushed the cart and slowly walked inside.
As the sales assistant walked by, she introduced the produce: "Grandma, look, this is our fruit section. We're opening today, and all the fruits are shipped directly from the production area. They arrived at four in the morning, so they're especially fresh."
The old lady went closer and saw that, sure enough, all the fruit on the shelf was plump, the apples were bright red, the oranges were dazzling yellow, and the grapes were dark purple.
What surprised her most was that each fruit had a label next to it, indicating its origin, harvest time, sweetness level, and even a recommended way to eat it.
"Are these apples from Luochuan?"
The old lady picked up an apple and said with emotion, "When I was young, I worked in the countryside in Luochuan. The apples there were the best."
The sales assistant's eyes lit up, and she said with a smile, "Grandma, you really know your stuff! This is a Red Fuji apple from Luochuan, it arrived at three o'clock this morning, would you like to try it?"
She picked up a cut sample, pierced it with a toothpick, and handed it to her.
The old lady took a bite, her mouth full of sweet and sour flavor: "This is the taste! Give me ten pounds!"
"Grandma, can you carry ten pounds? How about I weigh out five pounds for you first, and you can buy more after you finish eating them? We have fresh goods every day, so there's no need to hoard them."
The old lady thought for a moment and said, "That's true, then five catties it is."
The two continued walking forward.
As she passed the vegetable section, the old lady saw several staff members tidying up the shelves, picking out slightly wilted greens and putting them into a basket next to a section labeled "Special Offers".
"What's this for?" she asked curiously.
The sales assistant explained, "These vegetables have been sitting for a few hours. They're still edible, but they don't look as good, so we're not selling them at the regular price. We're offering them at a special price. But don't worry, they're all fresh; they just don't look as good."
The old lady went over and took a look. The vegetables in the discounted basket were indeed only slightly wilted; in other supermarkets, they wouldn't be considered wilted at all. She picked out a few items and put them in her car.
She was shocked again when she passed through the fresh produce section.
Behind the meat counter, instead of an ordinary cutting board, there was a huge transparent refrigerated display case filled with all kinds of meat.
A chef in a white coat is cutting meat for customers at the counter. Each piece is weighed on an electronic scale, carefully wrapped in plastic wrap, and then labeled with a price tag.
"Master, how much are these ribs?" the old lady asked.
"Auntie, these ribs were just slaughtered this morning. Look at the color, they're so fresh."
The chef picked up a piece of pork rib and asked, "How much do you want?"
"Give me two pounds."
The chef quickly chopped, weighed, and wrapped the ribs, then handed them to the old lady, adding, "Auntie, these ribs are best for making soup. If you're making soup, I suggest you add some corn and carrots; it'll taste even better. Corn and carrots are on special today at our supermarket, right over there."
The old lady laughed: "Your chefs even teach you how to cook?"
The chef smiled憨厚ly: "I've been running a butcher shop for twenty years, so I know a little about cooking."
When the old lady came out of the fresh produce section, her car was already half full.
The sales assistant checked the time: "Grandma, are you tired? Would you like to sit in the rest area?"
"There's a rest area?"
"Yes, we have rest areas on each floor with free tea and candy. There's also a children's play area on the second floor. If you bring your grandchildren, you can leave them there to play, and there will be someone to watch them."
The old lady clicked her tongue in amazement: "This isn't a supermarket, it's an amusement park!"
The two went to the second-floor rest area.
There are a dozen or so sofas and coffee tables here, with a few potted plants scattered among them. There are paintings on the walls, and a bookshelf in the corner with various magazines on it.
Several elderly people were sitting on the sofa drinking tea and chatting, a young mother was holding her baby and breastfeeding, and several children were playing on the slide in the children's play area.
The old lady sat down, and a waiter brought her a cup of hot tea: "Auntie, you've had a long day, please have some tea."
"Thank you."
The old lady took the tea, looked around, and said, "Your supermarket is really different."
The sales assistant sat down next to her and said with a smile, "Grandma, our chairman said that a supermarket is not just a place to buy things, but also a place to relax and have fun. If you get tired of shopping, you can take a break; if you are thirsty, you can have a cup of tea; if you are hungry, we also have an employee cafeteria that is open to the public, where you can eat your fill for just ten yuan."
"Ten yuan?"
The old lady exclaimed in surprise, "Wouldn't that result in a loss?"
The sales assistant shook his head: "It's not a loss. Our cafeteria isn't for profit; it's just to provide convenience for employees and customers. Employees pay five yuan for a meal, and customers pay ten yuan—both are at cost price."
The old lady exclaimed, "Your boss is such a good person!"
After resting for a while, the sales assistant accompanied the old lady to browse the daily necessities and snacks sections. By the time she paid, the old lady's car was already full.
The sales assistant helped her push the cart to the checkout counter. The cashier quickly scanned the barcodes, bagged the fruit, and then put the bags into the shopping cart, even using dividers to prevent the fruit from getting crushed.
"Grandma, did you come alone? Would you like us to help you to your car?" the cashier asked.
"I came by bus, I didn't drive."
"No problem, we'll take you to the bus stop. Which neighborhood do you live in? If it's not far, we can also take you home."
The old lady waved her hands repeatedly: "No need, no need. Although I am old, I can still carry these things."
"Grandma, don't be so polite, it's what we should do."
The sales assistant had already pushed the shopping cart forward and said enthusiastically, "Come on, I'll take you there."
The old lady couldn't refuse, so she had no choice but to go with her.
When they arrived at the bus stop, the sales assistant helped her carry her things onto the bus and even said to the driver, "Sir, this grandma has a lot of things, please take good care of her."
The driver was clearly surprised, but still nodded: "Don't worry."
After the bus started moving, the old lady sat in her seat, watching the Galaxy Shopping Mall gradually disappear outside the window, her eyes filled with a deep sense of surprise and emotion.
She has lived for over seventy years and visited countless supermarkets, but she has never been treated like this before.
She took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to her daughter: "Honey, I went to that supermarket you mentioned today. It was wonderful. The service was excellent, the products were great, and the people were lovely. In all my years, this is the first time I've felt like I'm not there to shop, but to visit someone."
When she got home, she took out all the things she had bought one by one: apples, oranges, ribs, eggs, milk, laundry detergent, snacks... She looked at and touched each one carefully.
Suddenly, she noticed a note tucked inside the bag of apples.
Upon opening it, I saw a note that read: "Grandma, these apples are from Luochuan. You mentioned you were sent to the countryside in Luochuan during the Cultural Revolution, and I think you'd love to taste the flavors of your hometown. Wishing you good health and happiness every day. —Xiao Li"
The old lady held the note, looked at it for a long time, then carefully folded it and tucked it into the book.
In the first hour after the opening of Galaxy Supermarket, stories like this happened hundreds of times in this huge shopping mall.
A young mother was breastfeeding her baby in the mother and baby room when she discovered that it not only had a crib and a bottle warmer, but also free diapers and wipes.
She posted a message on her WeChat Moments in surprise: "When will the mother and baby rooms in Galaxy Supermarkets become available nationwide?"
A disabled person in a wheelchair was greeted at the entrance by a sales assistant who then pushed him around the entire mall.
As he was leaving, he held the sales assistant's hand and said, "I haven't shopped in a supermarket by myself for over ten years. Thank you."
A tourist from out of town got tired and sat down to drink tea in the rest area. The waiter proactively refilled his water three times.
He said apologetically, "I'm not here to buy anything, I just want to rest for a bit."
The waiter smiled and said, "It's alright, this place is for people to rest."
An elderly man pricked his hand with a fish bone while picking out fish in the fresh food section. The staff member next to him immediately brought him a band-aid and helped him pick out the fish.
These stories spread rapidly across the entire internet via mobile phone screens.
That afternoon, an article titled "Galaxy Supermarket Opens: Pang Donglai Model Settles in Tangdu, Retail Industry Welcomes a New Benchmark" went viral online.
The article details the various aspects of Galaxy Supermarket: free tea, rest areas, mother and baby rooms, children's play areas; the professionalism and enthusiasm of the staff; and the quality and price of the goods.
As for the touching stories of those services, they were not included.
The article's comment section was instantly flooded with messages.
"This is a real supermarket! It's not for you to spend money, it's for you to enjoy yourself!"
"Anyone who has been to Pang Donglai knows that the feeling of being treated like a human being is really addictive."
"Go Galaxy Supermarket! Open a store in our city soon!"
"After seeing those service details, I, a grown man, actually cried."
"I hope Galaxy Supermarket can persevere and not be like other supermarkets that have a grand opening but then fade away."
That evening, the first day's sales figures for the Yinhe Supermarket Tangdu flagship store came out: 32,000 customers and 4.7 million yuan in sales.
This figure broke the record for single-day supermarket sales in Tangdu City.
However, some voices of ridicule and skepticism also emerged. (End of Chapter)