IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/agrhuv/v37y2020i1d10.1007_s10460-019-09987-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Constructing freshness: the vitality of wet markets in urban China

Author

Listed:
  • Shuru Zhong

    (Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Mike Crang

    (Durham University)

  • Guojun Zeng

    (Sun Yat-sen University)

Abstract

Wet markets, a ‘traditional’ form of food retail, have maintained their popularity in urban China despite the rapid expansion of ‘modern’ supermarket chains. Their continued popularity rests in the freshness of their food. Chinese consumers regard freshness as the most important aspect of food they buy, but what constitutes ‘freshness’ in produce is not simply a given. Freshness is actively produced by a range of actors including wholesalers, vendors as well as consumers. The paper examines what fresh food means to consumers in the Chinese market. It argues that wet markets create a sense of freshness that resonates with this culinary culture through their sensoria, atmosphere, and trust between food vendors and consumers. Together these respond to desires for and reproduce criteria used to evaluate freshness. Within a fragmented food trade system, wet market vendors have an advantage in offering ‘freshness’ through their ability to connect various wholesalers, agencies, and middlemen, and shorten supply chains. The paper is based on participatory observation, a consumer survey and in-depth interviews of various stakeholders in southern China, especially Sanya in Hainan and Guangzhou in Guangdong. This study suggests that this cultural construction of freshness creates a niche for small-scale players and ‘traditional’ markets in an increasingly concentrated global food system.

Suggested Citation

  • Shuru Zhong & Mike Crang & Guojun Zeng, 2020. "Constructing freshness: the vitality of wet markets in urban China," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(1), pages 175-185, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:37:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s10460-019-09987-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10460-019-09987-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10460-019-09987-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10460-019-09987-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Veeck, Ann & Burns, Alvin C., 2005. "Changing tastes: the adoption of new food choices in post-reform China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 58(5), pages 644-652, May.
    2. John Humphrey, 2007. "The supermarket revolution in developing countries: tidal wave or tough competitive struggle?," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(4), pages 433-450, July.
    3. Geertz, Clifford, 1978. "The Bazaar Economy: Information and Search in Peasant Marketing," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 68(2), pages 28-32, May.
    4. Yuko Aoyama, 2007. "Oligopoly and the structural paradox of retail TNCs: an assessment of Carrefour and Wal-Mart in Japan," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(4), pages 471-490, July.
    5. Maruyama, Masayoshi & Wu, Lihui, 2014. "Quantifying barriers impeding the diffusion of supermarkets in China: The role of shopping habits," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 383-393.
    6. Luo, Yadong, 2008. "The changing Chinese culture and business behavior: The perspective of intertwinement between guanxi and corruption," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 188-193, April.
    7. Maruyama, Masayoshi & Wu, Lihui & Huang, Lin, 2016. "The modernization of fresh food retailing in China: The role of consumers," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 33-39.
    8. Neil M. Coe & Neil Wrigley, 2007. "Host economy impacts of transnational retail: the research agenda," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(4), pages 341-371, July.
    9. repec:bla:devpol:v:22:y:2004:i::p:557-586 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Reardon, Thomas & Gulati, Ashok, 2008. "The supermarket revolution in developing countries: Policies for "competitiveness with inclusiveness"," Policy briefs 2, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    11. David Burch & Jane Dixon & Geoffrey Lawrence, 2013. "Introduction to symposium on the changing role of supermarkets in global supply chains: from seedling to supermarket: agri-food supply chains in transition," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 30(2), pages 215-224, June.
    12. Thomas Reardon & Spencer Henson & Julio Berdegué, 2007. "'Proactive fast-tracking' diffusion of supermarkets in developing countries: implications for market institutions and trade," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(4), pages 399-431, July.
    13. Taiyang Zhong & Zhenzhong Si & Jonathan Crush & Zhiying Xu & Xianjin Huang & Steffanie Scott & Shuangshuang Tang & Xiang Zhang, 2018. "The Impact of Proximity to Wet Markets and Supermarkets on Household Dietary Diversity in Nanjing City, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-18, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Leigh Martindale, 2021. "‘I will know it when I taste it’: trust, food materialities and social media in Chinese alternative food networks," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(2), pages 365-380, June.
    2. Bixuan Yang & Frank Asche & Tao Li, 2022. "Consumer behavior and food prices during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Evidence from Chinese cities," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(3), pages 1437-1460, July.
    3. Xiaohui Liu & Shuru Zhong, 2024. "Unsettling wildness: seafood consumption in new materialism," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 41(4), pages 1741-1753, December.
    4. Török, Áron & Maró, Zalán Márk & Czine, Péter & Jámbor, Zsófia & Maró, Gréta, 2024. "A termelői piacok fogyasztói profiljának szakirodalom-elemzése [The consumer profile of producer markets: an analysis of the literature]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(3), pages 255-274.
    5. Klaus G. Grunert & Yanfeng Zhou & Marija Banovic & Natascha Loebnitz, 2021. "Supermarket competence in emergent markets: Conceptualization, measurement, effects, and policy implications," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), pages 1633-1659, December.
    6. Yiyu Li & Qingjie Xu & Ying Wang & Bin Liu, 2024. "Genetic Algorithms Application for Pricing Optimization in Commodity Markets," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-16, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Michelle Lowe & Neil Wrigley, 2010. "The “Continuously Morphing” Retail TNC During Market Entry: Interpreting Tesco's Expansion into the United States," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 86(4), pages 381-408, October.
    2. Etornam Kosi Anku & Gerald Kojo Ahorbo, 2017. "Conflict between Supermarkets and Wet-Markets in Ghana: Early Warning Signals and Preventive Policy Recommendations," International Journal of Business and Social Research, MIR Center for Socio-Economic Research, vol. 7(10), pages 1-17, October.
    3. Steve Wood & Jonathan Reynolds, 2014. "Establishing Territorial Embeddedness within Retail Transnational Corporation (TNC) Expansion: The Contribution of Store Development Departments," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(8), pages 1371-1390, August.
    4. Yuan, Yuan & Si, Zhenzhong & Zhong, Taiyang & Huang, Xianjin & Crush, Jonathan, 2021. "Revisiting China’s supermarket revolution: Complementarity and co-evolution between traditional and modern food outlets," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    5. Alejandro Guarín, 2013. "The Value of Domestic Supply Chains: Producers, Wholesalers, and Urban Consumers in Colombia," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 31(5), pages 511-530, September.
    6. Etornam Kosi Anku & Gerald Kojo Ahorbo, 2017. "Conflict between Supermarkets and Wet-Markets in Ghana: Early Warning Signals and Preventive Policy Recommendations," International Journal of Business and Social Research, LAR Center Press, vol. 7(10), pages 1-17, October.
    7. Hampel-Milagrosa, Aimée & Brankamp, Hauke & Cremer, Thomas & Haddad, Alexander & Pannwitz, Katharina & Wehinger, Franziska & Agasty, Sangeeta & Sarkar, Tamal, 2017. "Retail FDI liberalisation and the transformation of agrifood value chains in India," IDOS Studies, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), volume 95, number 95, June.
    8. Md. Jahangir Alam, 2018. "Transformation of Retailing in Bangladesh: A Holistic Approach," Journal of Asian Business Strategy, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 8(2), pages 38-51, December.
    9. Timothy J. Richards & Simba Pasirayi, 2024. "Food retailing in developing economies: Review of empirical insights and new directions," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(4), pages 926-949, October.
    10. Alemayehu Dekeba Bekele & Joost Beuving & Ruerd Ruben, 2017. "How African Households Shop: Evidence from Dairy Chains in Ethiopia," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 29(4), pages 806-826, August.
    11. Kulke, Elmar & Suwala, Lech, 2015. "Internationalization of grocery retailers in emerging markets – general considerations and economic impacts," EconStor Preprints 247642, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    12. Angela Cheptea & Charlotte Emlinger & Karine Latouche, 2012. "Multinational Retailers and Home Country Exports," Post-Print hal-01208840, HAL.
    13. Grunert, Klaus G. & Loebnitz, Natascha & Zhou, Yanfeng, 2015. "Supermarket literacy and use of branding in China: The case of fresh meat," 143rd Joint EAAE/AAEA Seminar, March 25-27, 2015, Naples, Italy 202703, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    14. Jim Ormond, 2015. "New Regimes of Responsibilization: Practicing Product Carbon Footprinting in the New Carbon Economy," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 91(4), pages 425-448, October.
    15. Cédric Durand, 2007. "Pourquoi les distributeurs échouent ou réussissent à l'étranger ?," CEPN Working Papers hal-00165653, HAL.
    16. Gorton, Matthew & Sauer, Johannes & Supatpongkul, Pajaree, 2011. "Wet Markets, Supermarkets and the "Big Middle" for Food Retailing in Developing Countries: Evidence from Thailand," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(9), pages 1624-1637, September.
    17. Susan Chen & Raymond J. G. M. Florax & Samantha Snyder & Christopher C. Miller, 2010. "Obesity and Access to Chain Grocers," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 86(4), pages 431-452, October.
    18. Cédric Durand & Neil Wrigley, 2009. "Institutional and Economic Determinants of Transnational Retailer Expansion and Performance: A Comparative Analysis of Wal-Mart and Carrefour," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 41(7), pages 1534-1555, July.
    19. Maruyama, Masayoshi & Wu, Lihui & Huang, Lin, 2016. "The modernization of fresh food retailing in China: The role of consumers," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 33-39.
    20. Stephanie Barrientos & Peter Knorringa & Barbara Evers & Margareet Visser & Maggie Opondo, 2016. "Shifting regional dynamics of global value chains: Implications for economic and social upgrading in African horticulture," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 48(7), pages 1266-1283, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:37:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s10460-019-09987-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.