1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 477 That man never appeared.
Chen Jiazhi walked out of the market wearing short sleeves; the weather was a little chilly.

The two-story building of Kaopu Fresh was brightly lit, with vehicles coming and going. Chen Jiazhi called Li Xiu to go home after get off work.

Li Xiu also came out wearing only a light shirt. "Jiazhi, how's business at the stall?"

Chen Jiazhi opened the car door for her and walked to the driver's seat, saying, "Great, a bunch of old customers in booth 63 are chatting there."

Li Xiu smiled and asked again, "What about Yuexiu Market?"

“Even more outrageous, Tang Huaijie is a bit timid and hesitant. By the time I got back, they were already sold out.”

Chen Jiazhi still feels a bit regretful when he thinks about the Yuexiu stall. The company can provide support in terms of supply for the new stall.

Li Xiu was surprised: "They're selling so fast? It's not even 12 o'clock yet."

That's why it's a little regrettable.

The Cherokee drove through the empty city streets, along the main road, from the west of the city to the east, and then it arrived home.

The lights were already off in the house. Chen Jiazhi and Li Xiu quietly washed up before going to bed.

Recalling this busy day, all eight vegetable and fruit stores saw improvement, and the stalls were even more bustling with business.

And this was only the first day of the newspaper publication.

The next day, Chen Jiazhi got up a little late, at seven o'clock.

After having breakfast, it was still before eight o'clock when we arrived at the first store, but the store was already bustling with activity and the shelves were in a mess.

Each company is busier than the last.

Chen Jiazhi saw Wang Liang and also met Chen Zhengxu. The enthusiasm of the elderly people for buying groceries was a bit beyond his expectations.

Chen Zhengxu ate the fried dumplings that Chen Jiazhi had brought him and said, "We've only been selling for a little over an hour, and some vegetable shops are already asking to restock. This vegetable shop is going to have a lot of business!"

Chen Jiazhi asked, "Have you calculated the profit situation?"

Chen Zhengxu pondered for a moment and said, "Yesterday's gross profit was not bad, with the turnover of the seven stores reaching about 7500 yuan."

Gross profit margins are generally over 50%. After deducting labor costs and vegetable spoilage, and after paying taxes, the net profit is estimated to be 7-10%.

The losses in the retail of vegetables are very high. For leafy greens, a loss of more than 20% is normal, and in the high temperatures of summer, the loss can reach 30% to 40%.

Chen Jiazhi said, "The rent wasn't calculated, but this is the company's shop. It's not bad to have some business to do. We can wait for the property value to appreciate."

Chen Zhengxu nodded and said, "In addition, the company will have another sales channel. If we can open several hundred stores in the Pearl River Delta, the sales volume will be very considerable."

"You've got some nerve. The fresh food business isn't that easy."

"Kaopu Fresh, when the boss chose this name, he must have already planned to do vegetables and fruits."

"Not only that, I also want to sell meat." Chen Jiazhi smiled and said, "For a small shop like this, combining vegetables and pork is the right solution. Vegetables attract customers, and selling meat makes money."

Chen Zhengxu's eyes lit up.

"Uncle wants to raise pigs again?"

"We'll talk about that later. Right now, our core objective is to focus on leafy vegetables, expand and strengthen our operations, consolidate our advantages, and then venture into other areas."

"it is good!"

Chen Zhengxu had long understood his uncle's thoughts. Kaopu Fresh started by growing vegetables, but it wouldn't just grow vegetables forever; venturing into fruit was just an experiment.

In the future, we will also be involved in pig farming and meat sales, gradually increasing the product categories. This is how we truly grow bigger and stronger.

After exchanging a few words, Chen Jiazhi and Li Xiu went to the next store, where the situation was much the same.

For Chen Jiazhi, how much money the vegetable shop can make is not that important.

The first step is to improve the distribution channels.

With vegetable bases, wholesale stalls, and vegetable delivery services, Kaopu Fresh has a natural advantage in retail.

Moreover, buying high-quality commercial properties is also a form of investment, which can become a reliable source of funds for fresh produce, allowing one to enjoy the added value benefits brought about by the development of the times.

As for raising pigs and selling pork, or selling fruit, those are certainly viable businesses.

...

Back in his office, Chen Jiazhi reviewed the shipment data from various channels yesterday.

He looked at it very carefully and attentively.

Li Xiu was also in the office, complaining, "Jiazhi, the dishes that come in every day lately are pretty much the same, there's no change. Aren't you tired of looking at them every day?"

The amount of vegetables a market can sell depends on how much it can produce.

However, the upper limit for the amount of food that can be prepared by Kaopu Fresh is fixed.

Chen Jiazhi said, "Yes, it's still the same amount of money every day, but for some reason, I just can't help but want to look at it more often."

Li Xiu snorted, "You call me a money-grubber? I think you're the money-grubber!"

Chen Jiazhi asked in confusion, "When did I say you were greedy?"

"three years ago."

"three years ago?"

"Yes, back in the Dongxiang vegetable market, didn't I like counting money every day?"

Chen Jiazhi remembered, smiled, and said, "Back then, I asked you if you got tired of counting money every day. You said how could counting money be tiring? What are your thoughts now?"

Li Xiu: "I have no interest in money now."

Chen Jiazhi was choked with speech.

He certainly does seem greedy for money, but the feeling of making money seems to be truly addictive now.

On the contrary, Li Xiu had no ambition. She just followed him around every day, helped him out, read books, took photos, and took care of his daily needs. It was as if the days just passed by.

...

The official promotion by Huacheng City, setting an example, has had a lasting impact on Kaopu Fresh.

That afternoon, only the last rays of the setting sun remained.

He Chengping, general manager of Huacheng Vegetable and Fruit Group, came to the street before getting off work.

Not far from it is the Kaopu Fresh vegetable store, which used to be the storefront of a vegetable and fruit company.

He observed the store for a while; the decor was grand, and the signboard of Kaopu Fresh was bright.

The store's overall ambiance is very appealing, making it hard for nearby residents and pedestrians not to notice it.

He Chengping walked in, and the ordinary decoration and layout in Chen Jiazhi's eyes caught He Chengping's eye.

As he walked around, he noticed a dedicated cashier, a shop assistant who organized the vegetable shelves, and a customer service representative. He lingered for a long time looking at the quarantine certificates in various languages ​​hanging on the wall.

When he came to his senses, the store was already filled with people.

These people are all here to buy groceries.

On Kaopu Fresh, prices are clearly marked, there's no room for bargaining, and the transaction process is simple and quick.

He Chengping, who wasn't buying any vegetables, quickly left the shop. Looking at the endless stream of vegetable vendors, he thought of the company's more than two hundred vegetable stores.

"They're completely incomparable!"

"If we had half the customer traffic of this store, we wouldn't have lost so much money."

Thinking about the reforms proposed by the city, He Chengping knew that the state-owned vegetable store, which had influenced generations, was about to come to an end.

...

In the evening, the delivery and stalls of Kaopu Fresh once again witnessed the bustling scene of the previous night.

Even worse.

When Chen Jiazhi arrived at the company the next morning, he was stopped by employees one after another. Even after entering the office, there were still many people around, and he also had to endure a barrage of phone calls.

He hadn't even figured out who was calling; all he knew was that the people calling him early in the morning wanted goods.

Chen Jiazhi said to the few people still in the office, "Where did President Xu go? Go find President Xu."

Tang Huaijie said, "Around five o'clock, President Xu said he was going back to sleep."

"He runs pretty fast."

Chen Jiazhi thought to himself, "If I had known, he wouldn't have come to the company today."

"Just one more day, and the goods from Shanghai will arrive soon. There's no use in you urging me; you can only wait."

After finally calming down the people at the stall and the distribution center, Ye Junfei knocked on the door and came in.

"Junfei, what's up?"

Ye Junfei works in the foreign trade department, while Chen Jiazhi comfortably crossed his legs and took a sip of hot tea.

“I contacted a European customer via email. They mainly deal in frozen and dehydrated vegetables, but they also want to purchase a batch of fresh vegetables.”

Two months into his job, Ye Junfei was quite excited to finally make contact with a new client on his own.

"So, you're here to ask me for goods too?"

"I think we can try shipping a shipment to Europe."

"Wait a little longer, Junfei. The company is short of supplies right now. Once we have some free time, we'll definitely try to do business in Europe!"

Chen Jiazhi didn't want to dampen the newcomers' enthusiasm for work, even though he was already getting annoyed by their urging.

No wonder Chen Zhengxu wanted to hide.

Just then, the phone on the table rang again.

Chen Jiazhi answered the call.

"Hey."

"Boss, I, Li Cai, have some good news for you." Li Cai said with a smile, "Reporters have come to interview at Fanrong Vegetable Market, and Director Ao is currently receiving them in the vegetable field."

This is expected to further promote the development of local wholesale markets.

Chen Jiazhi asked instinctively, "Won't this affect deliveries to Xuanqiao and Pujiang vegetable markets?"

"Of course not."

"That's good, that's good." Li Cai couldn't sense his boss's excitement. Shouldn't it be a good thing that the company was on TV again?
Being able to appear on TV is certainly a good thing, especially since Kaopu Fresh doesn't have much of a reputation in the local Shanghai market.

The gimmick of being featured in newspapers and on television provides an additional way to attract customers when communicating with them. Perhaps the other party has just seen the news, and then a deal is made.

However, Chen Jiazhi had already developed a stress response that morning.

What if there are too many orders and the Shanghai market also explodes, and they stop shipping to the south?
The plan had to be interrupted once again.

Chen Jiazhi now just wants to wait peacefully for the vegetables from Shanghai to arrive at the port as soon as possible.

Chen Jiazhi had a hard time waiting for the past day or two. He didn't go to the stall or the store, but patiently stayed in the office to calculate the funds and how to spend them.

Finally, on the afternoon of November 5th, the temperature in Huacheng dropped, and Chen Jiazhi finally received the vegetables from Shanghai.

The truck arrived at the distribution center first, and the distribution center was also eagerly waiting for the vegetables.

"Open the box and inspect the goods first!"

Chen Jiazhi shouted, "After all, it's a new base, and it's been two days of transportation. If there's a problem with the goods, it will be troublesome."

"Boss, this box contains Shanghai bok choy. It's a little small, but the goods are fine," a deliveryman replied after opening the box.

Chen Jiazhi went over and took a look, saying, "These seedlings obviously weren't thinned out in time. The seeds should have been sown more densely. We might as well just sell them as bok choy."

We randomly checked seven or eight boxes in succession. Apart from the large variety of items and some vegetables being a bit small, the vegetables were generally fine.

Temperatures have dropped in Guangzhou, so Shanghai must be even colder, and leafy vegetables will gradually grow slower.

But Chen Jiazhi was satisfied.

Regardless of the quantity of vegetables, every extra bit of vegetables brings a little more help.

It's just a little unethical.

After all, leafy greens in Huacheng are already unsaleable, and Kaopu Fresh is still sourcing vegetables from other cities. Are they trying to kill their competitors already?!

Yes, that's what Chen Jiazhi meant.

In the current situation, Kaopu Fresh has already secured its position.

He originally thought that with the vegetable supply stalls and distribution in Shanghai, the leafy vegetables from Heli Farm and Jiangxin Vegetable Market could be exported more often, earning foreign exchange and making more substantial profits.

But when he saw Congyu and Dongsheng at Yuexiu Market, his thoughts suddenly changed.

Why not target our competitors again?
Once the idea popped into my head, I couldn't stop it.

Essentially, large vegetable markets like Dongsheng, Congyu, Hexing, and Yonglong have business conflicts with Kaopu Fresh.

Everyone focuses on Chinese cabbage, so the market is only so big, and there are only so many high-quality customers. If you want a larger market, besides the new markets created by economic development, you can also find ways to compete with your rivals.

Chen Jiazhi didn't hesitate, he did it!
Vegetables from Shanghai need to be delivered here, and the supply of vegetables from local Heli Farm and Jiangxin Vegetable Market cannot be reduced; in fact, there should be a slight shift towards Yuexiu Market!

Prices are set according to market prices, and it doesn't matter if we lose money or not. We're just targeting Dongsheng and Congyu!

On the evening of the 5th,
Because vegetables from Shanghai have not yet arrived in large quantities, the amount of leafy greens at the Yuexiu stall of Kaopu Fresh has only quietly increased.

No one noticed.

Only Tang Huaijie held his breath.

The construction of Guangzhou's pollution-free vegetable city has brought great pride to the city in the past two days, and has been reported in the news at the provincial and even national levels.

This also stirred up emotions among many vegetable growers. In short, Kaopu Fresh became famous in Guangzhou.

Besides his home base, Jiangnan Market, Yuexiu Market has also received a lot of attention. Whether or not he buys groceries, people often greet Tang Huaijie.

Just like yesterday, the leafy greens sold out quickly, but after 12 o'clock, all that was left were bitter melon and loofah.

However, Tang Huaijie also changed his usual practice and handed over the task of selling vegetables to his colleagues after the leafy greens were sold out.

He stood by the stall like a mascot, greeting people who came to buy vegetables or look at the goods.

"Sister, we're out of leafy greens today, but we'll have plenty tomorrow. Yes, they're all from our own company."

"Boss, there will be more vegetables tomorrow, remember to come and pick them up, I'll give you a discount."

"The company's planting standards are all uniform, and the amount of pesticides used is very low. You can rest assured that it will be safe for you to send to restaurants and hotels for storage!"

The eggplants and melons were almost sold out, but Tang Huaijie was still tirelessly trying to attract customers, his throat practically hoarse from talking so much.

He didn't know how much of an impact this would have, but as the person in charge of the stall in Yuexiu, he hoped that the stall could gain a foothold in the Yuexiu market by taking advantage of the recent popularity.

Instead of being attacked from both sides by Dong Sheng and Cong Yu, as we are now.

"Manager Qu, something's not right with Kaopu Fresh today!"

As soon as it was light, Bao Yang, a salesman at the Dongsheng stall, called Qu Jingtai.

"Their manager was promoting the fact that lots of dishes would be arriving tonight!"

"Vegetables? What vegetables?" Qu Jingtai had just woken up and was still a little groggy.

"Chinese cabbage!"

"What!" Qu Jingtai suddenly snapped to attention. "Where did he get so many bok choy? Has he stopped exporting them?!"

"I do not know!"

Qu Jingtai couldn't sleep. Oh no! In the past few days, leafy vegetables exported to Japan have been returned, and the higher-ups are promoting Guangzhou's achievements as a city of pollution-free vegetables.

This has led to the frequent mention of Reliable Fresh, which remains a hot topic and has even spread to Hong Kong.

Even just for the fame, people would buy it!

For every ton of reliable fresh produce sold, other vendors will sell one less ton of produce.

"Damn it, the price will probably have to go down again!"

"This is going to kill someone!"

"If you can do exports, why don't you focus all your efforts on exports? Why do you have to come to the mainland to make a living? Damn it!"

He knows that Kaopu Fresh has been deeply involved in the mainland market in the past, but now the profits from exporting to Japan are astonishingly high, while the prices in the mainland are astonishingly low. Why are you still sending vegetables to the stalls?
When Yang Jianzun from Yu heard the news, he also thought to himself, "Oh no, they're coming for me!"

But the vegetables in the market can't be left unharvested or unplanted. This is probably the most difficult time right now. If we can get through this, we'll see the light at the end of the tunnel.

...

In the evening, Qu Jingtai and Yang Jianzun arrived at the stall early, observing the situation of Kaopu Fresh without prior arrangement.

The two even exchanged glances, but neither paid any attention to the other.

However, after two large trucks entered the stall of Kaopu Fresh, both men changed color and stared at the same spot.

Someone asked, "Ah Jie, these two truckloads must be carrying vegetables today, right?"

Tang Huaijie smiled broadly and said, "Yes, it's green vegetables. I have all kinds of green vegetables you want today!"

"Oh, so arrogant!" the visitor said again. "Then I'll have to buy more and see what's so special about your vegetables that can be exported to Japan!"

After the truck arrived, people from Kaopu Fresh started getting on board, some asking about prices, others inspecting the goods.

Tang Huaijie quoted the market price, without any premium.

This is now the peak time for market foot traffic, and during this period, people rarely pick up leftover stock when buying groceries.

As long as the goods are good and the price is reasonable, I'll buy the vegetables without hesitation.

The location of the reliable Fresh food stall is not bad, and its reputation adds to the appeal, so many people will make a decision to place an order when they walk by.

In just a short while, the stalls at Kaopu Fresh were packed with people, and trucks came one after another to pick up goods.

Tang Huaijie has stopped soliciting customers. With the current foot traffic at the stall, which vegetable vendor wouldn't be curious?
If you walk a few more steps, most people will come up and take a look, and those who need it will naturally buy it.

Yang Jianzun sighed slightly. Sure enough, as soon as Kaopu Fresh caused trouble, the number of customers at the stall decreased.

He told the salesperson, "Let's lower the price again."

"Chairman, isn't this a bit too early?"

"If you don't lower the price now, you'll miss your chance. Are you just waiting to dump it in the river after dawn?"

"..."

Qu Jingtai was on the verge of tears, because Dong Sheng's stall was right behind Kaopu Fresh!
Customers entering through the main gate used to have to pass by the stalls of Kaopu Fresh before they could reach Dongsheng, but now that route is basically obsolete.

He could only hope that there would be more customers using connections today.

A dozen minutes later, Qu Jingtai sighed, "Let's lower the price."

However, the situation did not improve, because Kaopu Fresh also lowered its prices.

It's over, come for me.

For several days in a row, the vegetables at the Kaopu Fresh Yuexiu stall did not decrease, but instead increased.

A price war is imminent!
Kaopu Fresh is like a gentlemanly sheepdog, steadily following behind the flock. No matter how you lower your prices, I'll follow suit.

The already dire situation in the market became even more dire, and the Jiangnan Market was inevitably affected, with many vendors selling vegetables almost in tears.

Some have even closed down.

Vegetable farmers are losing their enthusiasm for harvesting; some have simply given up. Buying vegetables? Even a dog wouldn't buy them!

But the most affected are large vegetable markets, as Kaopu Fresh's move hit their Achilles' heel.

Not buying will result in huge losses; buying will lead to massive losses!
It can be described as a dilemma.

Qu Jingtai was furious, and Yang Jianzun was no better off. The two of them had been coming to Yuexiu Market for several days in a row, like powder kegs ready to explode at any moment.

That morning, the sun rose early and shone warmly on people, but Yang Jianzun felt cold inside.

Even God is against him.

He stared in the direction of Kaopu Fresh, clenching his fists, his eyes bloodshot. "Damn it, what kind of person hides like this? Come out and fight me one-on-one if you dare!"

Qu Jingtai, observing from a corner of the stall, muttered, "Come out and let me beat you up, and I'll sell you the farm."

"Come out!"

Many days have passed, and that man hasn't shown up for a single moment.

(End of this chapter)