What would get China’s consumers spending?

On a regular Tuesday morning, a large crowd has gathered outside a grocery store in Xuchang, a city of 4m people. Visit Pangdonglai at the weekend and things are even busier. Thousands, some having travelled hundreds of kilometres, arrive before dawn to take their place in a queue that snakes back and forth in front of the store’s entrance. At a time when China’s ritziest shopping centres are often desolate, and the country’s economy is struggling, the success of Pangdonglai’s 13 outlets is captivating executives who want to understand consumer sentiment.