8月27日，開市客（Costco Wholesale Corp.）在中國開設的第一家門店開業，爭搶打折產品的顧客很快就把店擠得爆滿，不惜在收銀臺前排隊數小時。

根據美國零售巨頭開市客發給持會員卡消費者的短信，當天下午該店不得不以“交通擁堵和顧客人流過大”為由提前暫停門店運營，還在微博上宣布了消息。

在開市客上海門店吸引人潮洶涌之際，中美的貿易摩擦絲毫沒有減退的跡象，結果是美國公司對在亞洲最大的經濟體中國投資持謹慎態度。開市客進軍中國的另一個背景則是，許多全球競爭對手在進入中國以后都陷入困境，并最終決定放棄。今年6月，家樂福剛剛折價出售了中國子公司的80%股份，而德國批發商麥德龍也正在尋求出售中國業務。

開市客首家中國門店開業當天，大量人群涌入導致店內爆滿，迫使當地警方介入。

——CNN商業新聞（@CNNBusiness）2019年8月27日報道

“上海開市客只能用‘瘋狂’這個詞來形容了。” 一位微博用戶說道，該用戶看到收銀臺排隊要兩個小時后放棄了購物計劃。其他一些微博用戶則分享消息稱，開車排隊進停車場要等三個小時，有些人決定步行前往以避開交通堵塞。

其他一些照片顯示，店內顧客手里抓著一袋袋烤雞，一邊用肘奮力擠開其他人。當地新聞報道稱，開市客給某些產品打四折，而包年會員費僅為199元（約合28美元）。在開店促銷活動中還出售了備受國民推崇的茅臺酒和五糧液酒。

在美國，開市客的門店因為特朗普總統對中國進口產品征收關稅而陷入困局。在8月27日的購物狂潮爆發后，媒體紛紛致電和在線要求開市客發表評論，但該公司并未馬上回應。（財富中文網）

譯者：艾倫

審校：夏林

Costco Wholesale Corp.’s first outlet in China opened on August 27 and was soon overrun with customers willing to fight over discounted products and wait hours to pay for their purchases.

The American retail giant had to suspend operations in its Shanghai store in the afternoon citing “heavy traffic and customer flows”, according to a text message sent by the company to consumers holding its membership card. The message was shared on Weibo, China’s micro-blogging website.

The frenzy at Costco’s store comes at a time when the U.S. and China are locked in a tit-for-tat tariff war that shows no signs of abating and is making American firms wary of investing in the largest Asian economy. Costco is also entering a market where many of its global rivals have struggled and given up. Carrefour SA sold 80% stake in its China unit at a discount in June while German wholesaler Metro AG is looking to sell its operations.

Local police had to step in when massive crowds overwhelmed China’s first Costco store

— CNN Business (@CNNBusiness) August 27, 2019

“There’s no other word to describe Shanghai’s Costco but crazy,” a Weibo user said, who gave up on the shopping plan after seeing two-hour queues at the checkout counters. Other Weibo users shared that they had to wait three hours to enter the parking lot while some decided to walk to the store to avoid the traffic jam.

Other pictures showed customers grabbing packets of roast chicken and elbowing out other shoppers at the store. Local news reports said the retailer offered discounts as deep as 60% on some products and annual membership for just 199 yuan ($28). The sale also includes the nation’s coveted fiery liquor drink from Kweichow Moutai Co. and Wuliangye Yibin Co.

Costco, whose U.S. stores have been financially pinched by President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports, didn’t immediately answer phone calls or an online inquiry seeking comment on August 27’s shopping frenzy.