Getting Groceries in China (2026)

China has two layers of grocery shopping. There is the physical layer, which includes supermarkets, convenience stores, fruit shops and wet markets. Then there is the delivery layer, where apps promise goods at your door in around half an hour in many cities. Both are good. The physical layer is much easier for a visitor.

• Convenience stores such as 7-Eleven, FamilyMart and Lawson are in most large cities and open late. They are the quickest source of water, drinks, snacks and basic toiletries.
• Supermarkets such as Walmart and Sam's Club are present in many cities. Sam's Club is membership-based, so check whether visitors can enter before you travel.
• Hema (Freshippo) combines a supermarket with ready meals and fresh food, and it also delivers from the store.
• Local supermarkets and fruit shops are everywhere and are usually the cheapest.

For restaurant food rather than groceries, see the Meituan guide.

Meituan (including its grocery service, Xiaoxiang Supermarket), Hema, JD and Dingdong all cover groceries. Delivery times of around 30 minutes are common in dense urban areas, but they depend on the area, the time of day and the weather. Out in an industrial zone, expect slower delivery or no coverage at all.

The practical problem is registration. These apps are in Chinese, they usually verify by SMS code to a +86 number, and the delivery address and courier calls are all in Chinese. Some have partial English or work through mini programs inside Alipay or WeChat, but this changes often and is not reliable enough to plan a trip around. Read the local phone number guide for how this plays out across apps.

On a multi-week factory or sourcing stay, the list is usually boring and practical:

• Bottled water and tea. Most people in China drink boiled or bottled water rather than tap water, and hotels usually have a kettle.
• Breakfast items for early starts, such as bread, yoghurt, fruit and instant oats, because factory visits often begin before hotel breakfast is served.
• Snacks for long drives between sites, and gifts for contacts if you want to bring something.
• Toiletries, laundry supplies and a spare charger or travel adapter.
• Imported snacks and drinks, which are sold in larger supermarkets and Hema stores. Prices for imported items are often higher than at home.

Basic items such as plasters, hand sanitiser and rehydration salts are easy to find at pharmacies and convenience stores. If you are ill, tell your hotel and ask them to help you find a hospital with an international or foreigners' clinic.

Hotels close to factories in places like Dongguan or Zhongshan can be a long way from supermarkets, and delivery coverage is thinner than in city centres. A few habits help:

• Stock up in the city before you head out to the zone.
• Ask the factory host where the nearest shop is. They know, and they will often take you.
• Keep a reserve of water and food in your room for days when meetings overrun.
• Keep receipts. Small supermarket receipts are not always valid expense records, so ask your finance team what they need.

If you also need rides, bikes or power banks while you shop, see the guides on DiDi, shared bikes and power banks.