第1页共10页编号:时间:2021年x月x日书山有路勤为径,学海无涯苦作舟页码:第1页共10页RoadsideretailinChinaGasolinereachesthehugeChinesemarketthroughafragmentedretailanddistributionnetworkofabout90,000stations,almostallstateowned.Manyarerunmoreassinecuresthanasbusinesses,oftenwithastafffourtofivetimeslargerthantheinternationalnormbutwithlessthanaquarteroftheaveragegasolinethroughputofUSstations.TheChinesegovernment,whichiswellawareoftheproblem,hasresolvednottoallowthecountryenergyinfrastructuretoburdenthewholeeconomy:itisfastderegulatingthesector,whichwillbefullyopeneduptoforeigncompaniesin2004underthecommitmentsattendingthecountrymembershipintheWorldTradeOrganization(WTO).Foreignoilcompanieshavehithertobeenrestrictedtoone-offlocaldealsinspecialeconomiczonesortiedtoinvestmentsintoll-roadconstruction.Althoughthestageshouldthusbesetforcannycorporationstomoveintothemarket,itremainsunclearhowtheywillmakemoney.Competitionisalreadydrivingdownretailmarginsongasoline,whilepricesforthebeststationsiteshavesoaredasChina抯largedomesticoilcompanieshaverushedtobuythem.OilcompaniesintheWestfacingsimilarmarginpressuresknowthatmostgasolinestationsareviableonlyiftheyoffergeneral-retailfacilitiesatleastaslargeasaconveniencestore,inadditiontogasoline.ThisistrueinChinaaswell.Thehighest-volumesitesmightbemadeprofitableontheirfuelrevenuesalone,buttherestneedsubstantialnonfuelrevenuestomakeaprofit.Thestrategicimplicationsareclear.InChinaaselsewhere,thefirstdecisionforanoilcompanyiswhethertoownandoperatesitesormerelytosupplythemwithgasoline.Ifthecompanyoptsforownership,ithasachoice:toadoptaretailstrategyandpursuenonfuelrevenuesfromaportfolioofretailsitesortotargetonlythehighest-volumesites,usingthemtobuildahigh-qualitygasolinebrandthatcanalsobeofferedthroughindependentretailers.Atpresent,theChineseoilmajorsarepursuingneitherstrategy;theyhavesimplyrushedtograbanyavailablesite,wheretheysellasmuchpetroleum-basedproductaspossiblewhileignoringtheretailpotential.Themultinationalshavebeenmorejudiciousinselectingsitesfortheirinitialjointventures,buttheytoohaveneglectedthestrategicchoice.Unlessallofthesecompanies,domesticandinternationalalike,changetack,theirinvestmentsinexpensiveChineserealestatemayunravel.第2页共10页第1页共10页编号:时间:2021年x月x日书山有路勤为径,学海无涯苦作舟页码:第2页共10页THEMARKETANDSITEECONOMICSChina抯dominantoilcompaniesareSinopec,inthesouthandeast,andPetroChina,whichhasthemorecomprehensiverefineryanddistributionnetworkofthetwo,inthenorthandwest(Exhibit1).Thetwocompaniesaimtocapture,betweenthem,70percentofChina抯gasolinesalesvolumeby2005.SincetheirIPOs,in2000,theyhaveinvestedheavilyinpetroleum-relatedinfrastructureandinbrandbuilding.Havingalreadyraisedtheirshareofsalestomorethan40percentandsecuredmostoftheprimesitesinthebiggestcities,theyareontracktomeetthistarget.Until2004,multinationalcompanieswillbeallowedtoownoutrightonlythe300orsositestheynowpossessthroughlocaldealsstruckbeforegovernmentderegulationofforeigninvestmentinthesector,inthemid-第3页共10页第2页共10页编号:时间:2021年x月x日书山有路勤为径,学海无涯苦作舟页码:第3页共10页1990s,buttheycanbuilduptheirholdingsthroughjointventureswithChinesecompanies.BP,ExxonMobil,andRoyalDutch/ShellareestablishingjointventureswithPetroChinaandSinopecbycontributingcapitalforthepurchaseofsitesandbysupplyinghigher-marginpremiumfuels;BPan...