Supermarket Shopping Guide

Quick Answer (30 Seconds)

China has two types of supermarkets: large supermarkets (Walmart, Carrefour, CR Vanguard, RT-Mart) with everything at low prices, good for bulk shopping; and convenience stores (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson, Bianlifeng) open 24 hours, good for emergencies. Checkout is via Alipay or WeChat scan — most supermarkets don't accept foreign cards. The imported food section is in a corner of big supermarkets — pricier but has your familiar home flavors. Many large supermarkets now have self-checkout machines — scan barcodes, scan your payment code, done. No conversation with a cashier required. Bottled water ¥2-3, instant noodles ¥3-5, a loaf of bread ¥8-15. Convenience stores are 30-50% more expensive than big supermarkets, but great for late-night emergencies.

Bottom line: Big supermarkets for shopping, convenience stores for emergencies, and Alipay QR codes work everywhere.

Full Guide

My first week living in China, the supermarket was my safe zone. Can't read menus? Go to the supermarket. Don't want to talk to anyone? Go to the supermarket. Miss your hometown snacks? Go to the imported section. Chinese supermarkets are one of the most foreigner-friendly places you'll find.

Large Supermarkets: Everything at Low Prices

Walmart (沃尔玛 wò ěr mǎ) — American brand, well-localized for China. Daily necessities, food, fresh produce — all at affordable prices. Some locations have imported food sections
Carrefour (家乐福 jiā lè fú) — French brand, relatively rich food selection among Chinese supermarkets, with a larger imported food section
CR Vanguard (华润万家 huá rùn wàn jiā) — Domestic supermarket giant, stores nationwide, good value house brands
RT-Mart (大润发 dà rùn fā) — Taiwanese-backed, extensive fresh and food variety, frequent promotions
Sam's Club (山姆会员店 shān mǔ) — Walmart-owned membership warehouse, bulk packages, lots of imports. Annual fee around ¥260, good for long-term stays and family shopping
Hema / Freshippo (盒马鲜生 hé mǎ) — Alibaba-owned, focused on fresh produce and live seafood you can have cooked on-site. Supports Alipay. Popular with young people — great experience, mid-range prices

Large supermarkets generally open 8:00-22:00, busiest on weekends. Go on weekday mornings or after 8 PM for fewer crowds and shorter queues.

Convenience Stores: 24-Hour Lifesavers

7-Eleven — Global chain, wide coverage in Tier 1 and 2 cities. Rice balls, bento, oden are the specialties
FamilyMart (全家 quán jiā) — Japanese-owned, decent coffee, desserts, and bento. Membership card for points
Lawson (罗森 luó sēn) — Japanese-owned, known for good desserts and bread
Bianlifeng (便利蜂 biàn lì fēng) — Domestic brand, 24 hours, slightly cheaper than Japanese chains, decent coffee
Convenience store prices are 30-50% higher than big supermarkets, but convenience wins: subway stations, residential gates, 2 AM — they're there
A rice ball ¥6-10, a coffee ¥8-15, a pack of tissues ¥3-5

What to Buy: Foreigner's Shopping List

Water — Nongfu Spring (农夫山泉 nóng fū shān quán), Yibao (怡宝 yí bǎo), Baisuishan (百岁山 bǎi suì shān), ¥2-3/bottle. Don't buy "mineralized water" (矿物质水) — that's just filtered tap water with added minerals. Buy "natural mineral water" (天然矿泉水) or "natural water" (天然水)
Snacks — China has an incredible variety. Try: Weilong spicy strips (卫龙辣条 wèi lóng là tiáo), Wangwang rice crackers (旺旺雪饼 wàng wàng xuě bǐng), Oreo China edition (matcha flavor, durian flavor), various potato chips
Fruit — Cheap and fresh. Bananas ¥3-5/jin (500g), apples ¥4-8/jin, watermelon ¥1-3/jin in summer. Imported fruit (cherries, avocado) is pricier but cheaper than in the West
Instant noodles — China has the world's best and most varied instant noodles. Kangshifu (康师傅 kāng shī fù), Uni-President (统一 tǒng yī), Baixiang (白象 bái xiàng), ¥3-8/cup. Try luosifen (螺蛳粉 luó sī fěn) flavor or hot and sour noodle flavor
Daily necessities — Tissues, laundry detergent, shampoo, toothpaste — big supermarkets are half the price of convenience stores. Vinda (维达 wéi dá) tissues, Bluemoon (蓝月亮 lán yuè liàng) detergent are common brands
Yogurt and milk — China has a huge yogurt variety. Bright (光明 guāng míng), Yili (伊利 yī lì), Mengniu (蒙牛 měng niú) are the big three brands. Yogurt tends to be sweet — buy "sugar-free" (无糖 wú táng) or "original" (原味 yuán wèi) for a healthier option

Imported Food Section: Your Hometown Lifeline

The imported food section in large supermarkets is usually in a corner or a separate aisle. Carrefour and Sam's Club have the largest import sections
What you can find: pasta, cheese, coffee beans, chocolate, cereal, jam, canned goods
Prices are 50-100% higher than abroad (tariffs + shipping), but faster than ordering on Taobao
If the supermarket doesn't have it, search Taobao/JD for imported food — 100x the selection, fast delivery (1-2 days)

Checkout: Alipay and WeChat Are King

Alipay/WeChat scan — 99% of supermarkets and convenience stores support this. Open Alipay or WeChat, show your payment code, cashier scans it — done
Foreign cards — Most Chinese supermarkets don't accept Visa/Mastercard. Individual Walmart locations might, but don't count on it
Cash — Accepted, but making change may be inconvenient. Carry small bills as a backup
Membership cards — Many supermarkets have free membership cards — register for points and discounts. Requires a Chinese phone number

Self-Checkout Machines: Introvert's Dream

Large supermarkets and convenience stores commonly have self-checkout machines. Process: scan product barcodes → confirm item list → select payment (Alipay/WeChat) → scan payment code → done
Some machines require you to tap "finished scanning" on screen before entering the payment step
Benefits: no conversation with the cashier, faster too. For shopping in China, this is a revolution — no long queues, no gesturing with the cashier
Note: Fresh produce needs to be weighed at the nearby scale station first, with a price sticker applied, before scanning at self-checkout
If the machine malfunctions (barcode won't scan, system freezes), wave to a nearby staff member — they're generally happy to help
Convenience store self-checkout is even simpler: for hot food like bento and oden, the clerk heats it for you, then you scan the barcode and pay

Online Grocery: Delivery Apps

Meituan Grocery (美团买菜 měi tuán), Dingdong Maicai, Hema — Order on your phone: vegetables, fruit, meat, seafood, daily necessities — delivered to your hotel or residence within 30-60 minutes. Especially convenient for foreign travelers — arrive at hotel and realize you forgot toothpaste? Open the app, order, wait
Requires a Chinese phone number to register, supports Alipay/WeChat payment
Prices are comparable to big supermarkets, some items cheaper — savings from no physical store rent
Good for when you don't want to go out, or there's no big supermarket nearby

Unique Chinese Supermarket Experiences

Free samples — On weekends, large supermarkets often have promoters offering free samples — from yogurt to dumplings to fruit. You can eat your fill walking one lap. Chinese people call this "蹭吃" (cèng chī — freeloading samples). A bit embarrassing but completely legal
On-site cooking — Hema and some large supermarkets have live seafood sections: pick your seafood, hand it to the chef for on-site cooking (steamed, salt-and-pepper, garlic), and eat within minutes. Much cheaper than a restaurant
Seasonal products — Around Mid-Autumn Festival, supermarkets are full of mooncakes. Before Spring Festival, it's all gift boxes. Before Dragon Boat Festival, it's zongzi (sticky rice dumplings). These holiday foods are only available at specific times — miss it and wait until next year
Bulk section — Large supermarkets have bulk bins for grains, dried fruits, and candy — grab a bag, fill it, weigh it, stick on a price label. Bulk is 20-30% cheaper than packaged, and you can buy just a little to try

Price Reference

Bottled water ¥2-3
Instant noodles ¥3-8
Bread/loaf ¥8-15
Bananas ¥3-5/jin
Yogurt ¥3-8/cup
Tissues (10 packs) ¥15-25
Imported chocolate ¥20-50
Convenience store rice ball ¥6-10
Convenience store bento ¥12-25

Disaster Manual

Disaster Scenario 1: No Alipay/WeChat at Checkout

Problem: You queued for 15 minutes, reach the cashier, and realize they only take Alipay/WeChat — you only have cash.

What to do:

Large supermarkets and convenience stores generally do accept cash — the cashier just needs to make change
If the self-checkout machine doesn't take cash, go to the staffed checkout lane
If all else fails, ask a nearby customer for help: you give them cash, they pay with Alipay for you. Chinese people are generally very helpful and won't refuse
Lesson: Make sure you have money in Alipay or WeChat before going out

Disaster Scenario 2: Bought Something and Don't Know What It Is

Problem: You grabbed a snack at random, packaging is all Chinese, and you take a bite — it's incredibly spicy.

What to do:

Chinese snack packaging doesn't label "spice level," but anything with a chili icon or the character 辣 (spicy) is probably hot
Check the ingredients list: if you see 辣椒 (chili), 花椒 (Sichuan pepper), or 麻辣 (numbing-spicy), it's spicy
If you're unsure, don't buy it, or search the product name on Taobao first to check reviews
Don't waste the wrong snack — give it to a Chinese friend, they might love it

Disaster Scenario 3: Can't Find What You Want in the Imported Section

Problem: You wandered around Carrefour's import section and found only a few packs of nearly-expired crackers and overpriced chocolate.

What to do:

Not all supermarket import sections are good. Carrefour and Sam's Club have the best selections
Search Taobao/JD for imported food — 100x the selection of physical stores, cheaper too
Tier 1 cities (Beijing/Shanghai/Guangzhou) have dedicated import supermarkets: Ole', City Super, Jenny Lou's
Really homesick? Use Taobao to cross-border shop or ship a package from abroad (mind customs clearance)

Information verified: August 2026 · Sources: Various supermarket brand official information, Alipay/WeChat Pay official documentation · Prices vary by city and store.