Shenyang's nightlife competition is also intense, many young people like to go to bars.

by wangjunjie1 on 2012-02-20 00:05:42

Shenyang Nightlife Competition is Also Wild Many young people like to go to bars, but they don't go for the alcohol; they go for the lively atmosphere. There's a convivial joy in friends gathering together. After a long period of dormancy, Shenyang's bars have begun to get on the "right track." However, now these various nightspots are quietly playing their own variations. They are using all sorts of marketing tactics to attract more customers to their bars, and the many soon-to-open bars have made this "battle for customers" even more intense.

Worried: A sharp decline in customers at Shenyang's old discotheques

Mr. Wu's discotheque is considered one of Shenyang's old brands with many years of "history." Recently, Mr. Wu suddenly noticed that fewer and fewer people were coming to his discotheque. "In the past, my occupancy rate was almost 80% daily; now, I can't even fill half the place. Only during crazy weekend events do we reach the usual occupancy rate," Mr. Wu said, puzzled. In fact, there is a reason for this. Nightclubs come in several types: CLUBS, which generally have performances; DISCOS, which are what we call discotheques; and PUBS, which can be either lively or quiet. Mr. Wu runs one of the oldest discotheques. These kinds of discotheques used to be unique and very popular in Shenyang. However, with the emergence of many new nightclubs, everyone has become obsessed with CLUBS. Currently, the hottest nightclubs in Shenyang are almost all in the CLUB format. "They're tasteful, high-class, not too noisy, and it's fun to hang out there," said Ms. Zhang, a white-collar worker in Shenyang. She told reporters that many of her friends go there when they have nothing to do. The rise of new nightspots has presented a huge challenge and crisis for Shenyang's old bars. But the drop in customers isn't just due to the type of venue; it's also because of more intense competition.

Competition: The "Free Plan" of Two New Nightspots

Currently, the most popular trend in Shenyang is going to bars without spending any money. This is also the customer-attracting strategy used by two newly opened nightclubs in Shenyang—one located in the east and the other in the west. "Our free plan works like this: regardless of gender, everyone who comes to our bar gets in for free. Ladies receive some complimentary snacks, and gentlemen get a free beer," said the manager of a newly opened nightclub in the eastern part of Shenyang. "We do this to increase our customer base. If you come for free and have a good experience, you'll definitely come back next time. Word spreads quickly, and then we'll have more customers," he explained, adding that business is booming now.

Another bar has hired a group of sociable "fun-loving tribes." "We give them a free consumption card worth ten thousand yuan. They can invite their friends to play here, and naturally, their friends will return the favor by inviting them again, thus creating more business for us," said the manager of another nightclub located in the western part of Shenyang. They also pay wages to these hired fun-lovers. "The purpose of doing this is to attract more people, because the success of a bar depends entirely on its popularity. If there aren't enough people, it's fatal," he explained.

Regarding this kind of competition, many industry insiders consider it malicious competition. However, a reporter interviewed a manager of a nightclub conducting "free promotions," who said, "We lose money every day, but we've invested heavily. We can't let lack of popularity kill us. We've already spent over ten million yuan on decoration alone, so this money is essentially our advertising budget."

Reorganization: New Nightclubs Reorganizing the Market

Now, with the competition among nightclubs in Shenyang becoming increasingly fierce, it has been reported that near Zhongshan Park, a super "nightclub" that will be the largest in all of Shenyang is about to open. According to relevant sources, this club spans three floors with a total area exceeding 9000 square meters, and the cost of decoration alone exceeded 100 million yuan. "We will create the most comprehensive nightclub model in Shenyang, including business KTVs, large discos, performance squares, etc.," said the relevant source. This new nightclub will not only offer more choices to the citizens of Shenyang but also bring about a major reorganization of Shenyang's nightclub market. "After the opening of this new nightclub, it will inevitably take away many customers, and some smaller nightspots will face closure due to lack of patrons. In other words, after the opening of this new store, some nightclubs in Shenyang will undoubtedly close down. The market competition will become even more intense."

Profit: Nightclub Promoters Becoming "Celebrities"

The intensifying competition among nightclubs has also made nightclub promoters a highly sought-after profession. "Previously, I could only manage one nightclub, but now many nightclub owners are looking for me," said Xiao Ai, a promoter. He told reporters that his monthly income has doubled compared to before. "As more and more nightclubs open, the competition becomes increasingly fierce. Many bosses offer high prices to hire nightclub promoters, but in Shenyang, there aren't many people in this profession, and most of them are part-timers. Therefore, nightclub promoters are currently in high demand," Xiao Ai explained. "In fact, in many other cities, visiting nightclubs is the most fashionable and frequent activity for young people. Now, as Shenyang's nightclub industry develops better and competition grows fiercer, survival of the fittest applies. This is the rule of the market," Xiao Ai added. "The development of nightclubs will also drive the development of consumption, and profits are certainly there."

For the competition among Shenyang's nightclubs, reporters interviewed 20 consumers, all of whom believed it was a good thing. They now have more choices, and promotions genuinely benefit them.

Professor Sun Xinbo from the School of Business Management at Northeastern University said, "These promotional strategies are the results of market competition, quite normal, and still within control."

Chief Reporter Yang Bo

Reporter Zhao Xue