Stories of High-Quality Development | Empowering small businesses for job stability

In Xixingjiazhuang village, Zhengding county, north China's Hebei Province, Doudou Grocery Store is bustling with a steady stream of customers. Looking at this vibrant scene, one could hardly imagine that three years ago, Xu Xiaoyan, the owner, was worried about the store's disorganization and poor business.

This year marks Xu's 24th year in the retail industry. From growing and wholesaling vegetables, to selling at street stalls, and then opening a community grocery store, she learned everything the hard way, yet never quite found the knack of running a business.

"Our store was so cluttered that it looked more like a warehouse. We were busy from morning till night but hardly made any money," said Xu. Without knowledge of management and marketing, she found her path as an entrepreneur was getting increasingly narrow.

In 2023, Xu came across the Tongfu Gongxiang platform by chance. She joined the platform just to give it a try, but that decision ended up changing her life. Zhao Lin, account manager for the Shijiazhuang region at Tongfu Gongxiang Technology Group, came to her store to tailor-make a whole set of plans to upgrade it.

"We started with the most basic store layout improvements. We used a tape measure to take every measurement and drew up scientific customer flow diagrams, so that customers would naturally make additional purchases as they moved through the store," Zhao explained. In addition to optimizing the flow, the team also taught Xu how to select and position products with precision and plan themed promotional events. They helped her set up a community group chat with over 500 users and establish online promotion channels, bringing the traditional small store into the digital age.

These targeted measures led to the transformation of the store. It has grown from 300 to 500 square meters, with daily revenue rising to around 14,000 yuan ($2,000). Xu, who once simply sold products, can now skillfully use digital tools to manage inventory and customer traffic, and confidently introduce products on camera and plan promotional activities to attract customers. She has completed the transformation from a street vendor to a professional manager with a firm grasp of business operations.

"I never imagined that someone like me, who started out at a street stall, could now teach my staff to make short videos," Xu said.

The thriving store has also created more jobs for nearby villagers. Her store now runs day and night shifts, hiring local mothers and villagers who have returned home after working elsewhere, providing employment for over a dozen families.

"Villagers can find stable jobs right at their doorstep," said Xu. "This allows them to take care of their families while earning an income, and their willingness to spend has also increased." She added that the village already had a diverse industrial foundation, including agriculture, manufacturing and logistics. The platform has effectively integrated scattered resources, enabling villagers to pursue farming, employment and entrepreneurship simultaneously, paving multiple paths to prosperity. The lively, bustling atmosphere has brought the entire village to life.

"Hebei Province is actively promoting county-level commercial development, focusing on people-oriented investment policies and empowering small shops at the primary level to stabilize employment, boost consumption and improve livelihoods," Zhao said. Tongfu Group has responded to this call by leveraging the Tongfu Gongxiang platform to implement three key measures: centralized procurement and direct supply, digital empowerment, and comprehensive community services. These measures help create a government-enterprise collaborative system to empower local stores and effectively implement supportive policies.

"Having someone who's truly willing to invest in you — help you build skills and find your way — is more effective than simply giving you money or things," Xu said. Her remarks reflect the sentiment of countless grassroots entrepreneurs. Feeling secure, Xu is full of confidence about the future.