| Abstract | Reform of China's retail environment continues unabated, aided by foreign competition keen to capture a share of a market buoyed by a 25 per cent increase in sales in 1995 to 2,060 billion yuan (HK$1,895 billion), according to official estimates. The future trend will be towards bigger retail outlets as the government seeks to encourage bulk buying that will cut prices and help keep inflation in check, say industry observers. Hong Kong retailers, however, could find it harder to crack the market. They risk losing out to Western companies for state-approved joint-venture status, which would give the foreign investor a high level of control over its mainland operations. |
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