PX Mart

PX Mart Co., Ltd.
IndustryGrocery
Founded1 September 1998
HeadquartersZhongshan, Taipei, Taiwan
Key people
Lin Ming-Hsiung (林敏雄)
Websitehttp://www.pxmart.com.tw/
PX Mart
Traditional Chinese全聯福利中心
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinQuánlián Fúlì Zhōngxīn
Wade–GilesChuanlien Fuli Chunghsin

PX Mart is a supermarket chain in Taiwan. As of October 2021, PX Mart operates 1,056 stores across the island, making it the largest supermarket chain in Taiwan and the second largest retailer by revenue behind 7-Eleven.[1][2] The corporate headquarters is located in Zhongshan District, Taipei.[3]

History

In 1974, the Ministry of the Interior founded the Jūngōngjiào Fúlì Zhōngxīn (軍公教福利中心), a supermarket with cheaper prices and no sales tax whose access is restricted to military, civil servants, and educators.[4][5] In 1989, the supermarket was reorganized to create Quánliánshè (全聯社)[a] that catered to civil servants and educators;[6] the military maintained its own supermarket, which still exists to this day.[7] In 1998, several executives were found to have embezzled money. Nine people were charged, but were all eventually found not guilty.[8][9] During the controversy, the company was privatized and headed by Lin Ming-Hsiung, founder of Yuanlih Construction (元利建設); its 66 stores were rebranded as PX Mart and were opened to the public.[10][11]

Under new leadership, Lin aggressively increased their market share through mergers with other chains, acquiring Yanglianshe (楊聯社) in 2004, the stores in Taiwan owned by the Japanese chain Summit (supermarket) [ja] in 2006, and the stores operated by Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation [zh] in 2007.[12] The supermarket operated as a discount store and kept consumer prices down through unconventional strategies, such as opening smaller stores in discreet locations or outside urban areas, and not accepting card payments to avoid processing fees.[5][10][13] In 2006, PX Mart launched its long-running advertising campaign known as "Mister PX Mart" (全聯先生), which features a man in a deadpan voice describing the chain's lack of extra services to achieve low prices.[14][15]

In 2012, PX Mart surpassed Carrefour as the largest supermarket chain in Taiwan.[16] The same year, PX Mart opened two warehouses in Guanyin, Taoyuan and Gangshan, Kaohsiung,[17] and became the first overseas member of the All Japan Supermarket Association [ja].[18][19] In 2013, PX Mart reversed its cash-only policy by allowing card payments from CTBC Bank.[20] PX Mart then acquired two more supermarket chains: Obuying [zh] in 2014,[21] and Matsusei in 2015.[22] In 2021, PX Mart announced its acquisition of the hypermarket chain RT-Mart; the deal is awaiting regulatory approval.[1]

Operations

A typical PX Mart store in Taipei.

PX Mart operates three warehouses, located in Guanyin, Taoyuan; Wuqi, Taichung; and Gangshan, Kaohsiung.[23]

Notes

  1. ^ Short for Hézuòshè Liánhéshè (合作社聯合社).

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Tseng, Chih-yi; Huang, Frances (October 23, 2021). "PX Mart's acquisition of RT-Mart could worry Carrefour: economist". Focus Taiwan. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  2. ^ 程士華 (June 2, 2021). "全球零售250強 統一超、全聯上榜". 經濟日報 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "全聯人資網" (HR). Pxmart. Retrieved on March 8, 2018. "Q5 如何前往全聯總部面試? A5 全聯企業總部地址：台北市中山區敬業四路33號 搭乘捷運至台北捷運劍南路站(文湖線)，3號出口，步行約8分鐘 " - Map
  4. ^ 王嘉慶 (October 24, 2021). "全聯吃大潤發 網友拱上市 掌門人曝2堅持". China Times (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  5. ^ a b 謝其濬 (December 24, 2018). "還記得當年的「全聯社」嗎？一起來看全聯的進化史！". 天下文化 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  6. ^ "全聯社接辦公教福利確定 簽學廠商已逾六百家" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Central Daily News. Central News Agency. July 22, 1989.
  7. ^ 廖芳潔 (August 30, 2010). "搶救！國軍福利站詢價　跟量販比便宜". TVBS (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  8. ^ "全聯社弊案收押二人". CTS (in Chinese (Taiwan)). April 22, 1998. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  9. ^ 王鵬捷 (January 1, 2002). "全聯社案兩判無罪" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Central Daily News.
  10. ^ a b Lin, Jackie (October 23, 2006). "PXmart maps out big expansion plan". Taipei Times. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  11. ^ 王榮章 (April 30, 2009). "林敏雄 百億身價的創富之路". Business Today (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  12. ^ 王榮章; 劉咸昌 (April 30, 2009). "低價天王 林敏雄傳奇". Business Today (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  13. ^ 顏瓊真 (May 22, 2012). "林敏雄 用13年讓全聯脫胎換骨". Money Weekly (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  14. ^ "PX Mart in positive spin". Campaign Asia. September 5, 2007. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  15. ^ 謝其濬 (June 7, 2019). "素人演出為何能一砲打響品牌名聲？「全聯先生」的成功學". Food Next (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  16. ^ 陳彥淳 (April 10, 2013). "全聯林敏雄扳倒家樂福的祕密". Wealth Magazine (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  17. ^ 蔡孟修 (July 25, 2013). "全聯百億物流中心　力拼量販龍頭寶座". ETToday (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  18. ^ 林瑞明 (October 31, 2012). "全聯加入全日本超市協會 「生活良好」系列商品登台". Yam News (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  19. ^ "台湾全土での生活良好発売開始のお知らせ" (PDF). All Japan Supermarket Association (in Japanese). November 6, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  20. ^ 蔡怡杼 (November 21, 2013). "中信銀固守零售版圖　打破全聯15年不刷卡習慣". ETToday (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  21. ^ 李至和 (June 26, 2014). "全聯二代店 要推小農專區". United Daily News (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on June 28, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  22. ^ 林海; 戴安瑋 (November 13, 2015). "4.5億買松青 全聯衝832家". Apple Daily (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  23. ^ 楊雅民 (July 29, 2020). "全聯砸250億元 打造北中南物流園區". Liberty Times (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved October 25, 2021.