Miniso bounces back in wake of outbreak

Miniso Corp, a low-cost retailer based in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, has resumed operations at more than 90 percent of its outlets across the country following the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to a company source.

"Sales dropped dramatically in February, as the novel coronavirus epidemic cast a lengthy shadow on retail business," said Ye Guofu, co-founder and CEO of Miniso.

According to Ye, Miniso had to cancel operations at more than half of its stores in the country, bringing a sales drop of 95 percent year-on-year in February.

Following the return to normal operations at most stores, the company's daily sales reached more than 50 percent of the standard, according to Ye.

To offset the business loss during the disease outbreak, Miniso developed closer relations with online delivery platforms to offer "non-contact delivery" service for customers, which helped boost a 300 percent increase in its online sales business on February compared with January.

The company also announced on March 11 it would set up an 800 million yuan ($113.1 million) foundation to support its store partners in resuming operations.

"It will be a big chance for low-cost retailers to speed up business expansion after the outbreak, as consumers have developed a more cautious attitude towards buying," Ye said.

Established in 2013, Miniso has so far opened more than 4,000 outlets in the world, with 2,500 located in China.