Despite a recent cold snap in Beijing that has pushed temperatures below freezing, the city's "vegetable basket," the Beijing Xinfadi Agricultural Wholesale Market, is working strenuously to ensure an uninterrupted supply of vegetables. On the retail end, companies including Wu-Mart, Yonghui Superstores, Hema, Dingdong (Cayman) Limited, and Meituan are leveraging digital and intelligent systems to forecast demand, precisely stock goods, strengthen delivery capacity, and optimize services, thereby reinforcing the line of defense for public livelihood security.
Even as cold waves strike frequently, the vegetable supply at the Xinfadi market remains as stable as a rock. According to Zhang Yuelin, General Manager of the Xinfadi market, the current daily vegetable supply volume has stabilized at 22,000 tonnes, with the weighted average wholesale price falling to 3.54 yuan per kilogram, a notable decrease from the previous peak of 3.94 to 3.96 yuan.
"The current price decline is primarily driven by two factors," Zhang Yuelin stated. One factor is the short-term supply tightness and price surge caused by earlier snowfall and temperature drops; the other is that as vegetables from various regions gradually enter their peak harvest season, production capacity is being released, leading to a more relaxed supply-demand relationship. Data shows that prices for storable vegetables like potatoes, onions, and white radishes remain stable; warm-greenhouse vegetables such as head lettuce, loose-leaf lettuce, youmai cabbage, and baby spinach have also entered a phase of stable supply; meanwhile, fresh and tender vegetables like Chinese cabbage, round cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli from the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and southern regions, benefiting from favorable climate conditions and ample yields at their origins, are even priced lower than similar local products from Hebei, effectively pulling down the overall vegetable price.
Zhang Yuelin indicated that warm-weather vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, bitter melon, green beans, and yardlong beans are extremely sensitive to low temperatures and highly susceptible to frost damage during transport or sales, leading to spoilage. To address this challenge, the Xinfadi market and its merchants are collaborating and implementing multiple insulation measures. During transport, foam boxes and refrigerated trucks are used for temperature-controlled shipping; once in the sales phase, the market uniformly provides cotton quilts to cover stalls, particularly during the cold overnight and early morning hours, to minimize frost damage to the greatest extent possible. Furthermore, in recent years, the market has continuously advanced its "upgrade and improvement" project, constructing new insulated trading sheds and enhancing storage conditions, which not only improves the comfort for merchants but also provides a safer "shelter from the cold" for agricultural products.
Currently, it is the peak season for "transporting southern vegetables to the north," with winter vegetables from Yunnan, Hainan, and Guangxi becoming the mainstay of the Beijing market. To prevent price fluctuations caused by weather or logistics disruptions, the Xinfadi market is deploying a combination of strategies. "We are strengthening direct control at the source; many of our merchants have partnered to establish planting bases in Yunnan, Hainan, Guangxi, and other regions, enhancing supply autonomy and supply chain resilience," Zhang Yuelin explained. Simultaneously, the market uses information platforms to monitor real-time weather conditions, harvesting progress, and logistics dynamics in major production areas, allowing for preemptive risk assessment; it also organizes southern vegetable merchants to increase harvesting and establish temporary reserves at key nodes, ensuring no supply gaps, no stockouts, and stable prices.
Additionally, Wu-Mart is utilizing its AI smart replenishment system to accurately predict changes in consumer demand and has activated an emergency restocking mechanism. This system comprehensively analyzes multiple dimensions, including the intensity of the recent snowfall, the characteristics of the prolonged cold, pre-holiday consumption habits, and historical data, to achieve highly efficient restocking, ensuring that essential goods are fully stocked on shelves in advance. Xu Lina, spokesperson for Wu-Mart Group, stated that besides the immediate storage demand triggered by the snowfall, the traditional winter storage habits of northern residents, combined with the pre-Spring Festival stockpiling surge, are driving up purchasing demand. Consequently, Wu-Mart has simultaneously entered a "reserve" mode, not only guaranteeing immediate consumption but also preparing inventory for the subsequent period of continued cold weather to ensure a supply-demand balance.
Concurrently, online grocery platforms are also experiencing a surge in orders. Since the onset of the recent snowfall, order volumes on Dingdong (Cayman) Limited's Beijing platform have skyrocketed. To cope with increased delivery challenges and soaring demand, the platform quickly activated contingency plans: total backup inventory was increased by 25%, and delivery capacity investment was boosted by 35%. "With the cold weather, people are reluctant to go out, making online purchasing the preferred option," said Chen Hao, station manager of Dingdong's Dongzhimen site. He noted that due to road conditions, the average delivery time per order has increased by 5 to 10 minutes compared to usual. To address this, the platform has pre-allocated additional delivery riders to ensure demand can be met during peak periods.
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