DFI Retail’s Mannings joins retail exodus after two decades in mainland China

[SINGAPORE] DFI Retail Group’s beauty and health brand Mannings on Wednesday (Dec 17) announced the closure of all its stores across mainland China, citing “consumer behaviour” changes.

The chain, which opened its first store in the mainland in 2004, is a household brand in Hong Kong and Macau, where it has operated for over half a century. It also operates as Guardian in some Asean countries, including Singapore.

Mannings has more than 120 stores in mainland China, with an additional 320 outlets across Hong Kong and Macau.

Its physical stores on the mainland will stay open until Jan 15, 2026, Mannings said in a statement on its WeChat account.

The company plans to integrate its Hong Kong and Macau business’ operations, namely its physical stores and e-commerce channels, with mainland China’s cross-border e-commerce model. 

Some analysts have indicated that vendors on the mainland experienced an overall slump in business activity in recent times, amid weaker consumer spending, according to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report.

China’s November retail sales eased for the sixth straight month, inching up just 1.3 per cent from a year earlier, according to official data on Monday. It was the slowest pace since December 2022.

China’s economy has been hit by slowing consumption growth and a deepening property slump.

Rising costs and a lack of scale also affect retailers, too, added analysts. PwC’s China consumer markets industry leader Carrie Yu told SCMP that compared to Mannings, Watsons had a much larger presence in mainland China, with more than 3,000 stores.

SEE ALSO

DFI Retail Group would do investors a service by releasing market-sensitive news on SGXNet

DFI Retail Group sells Singapore food business, including Cold Storage and Giant, for S$125 million to Macrovalue

“A critical mass makes a difference because in China you need to invest in your infrastructure and in your systems,” she said.

Nearer home, on Mar 24, DFI Retail Group announced the sale of Cold Storage Singapore and Giant stores, as well as two distribution centres, to Macrovalue (Malaysia) for S$125 million.

The retail operator still owns other consumer brands such as Guardian, which Mannings is known as in South-east Asia, and house brand Meadows. There are over 100 Guardian stores in Singapore.

A spokesperson from DFI Retail Group said in response to queries by The Business Times that Mannings’ shuttering in mainland China does not have an impact on Guardian’s operations in Singapore.

“Mannings will continue to put consumer needs at the core, leveraging resources from Hong Kong and South-east Asia to strengthen cross-border e-commerce capabilities and optimise both online and offline experiences,” the company said.