第1页共11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11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11页第1页共11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11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11页第2页共11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11页1990s,buttheycanbuilduptheirholdingsthroughjointventureswithChinesecompanies.BP,ExxonMobil,andRoyalDutch/ShellareestablishingjointventureswithPetroChinaandSinopecbycontributingcapitalforthepurchaseofsitesandbysupplyinghigher-marginpremiumfuels;BPan...
