Summary of Key Points
This news article highlights the challenging situation faced by physical businesses: their profits are being squeezed by both landlords and potential platform monopolists. Despite a tripling of GDP over the past 15 years, the share of profits going to these physical businesses has actually decreased. It also warns that once platforms gain market dominance through aggressive subsidy strategies, they may end up exploiting these businesses in a similar manner to landlords. The survival of these small entrepreneurs is directly linked to everyone’s daily life and economic stability.
Detailed Analysis
1. Profits of Small Physical Business Owners: Most Taken by Landlords, with Platforms Lurking Threateningly
The example of the noodle shop in the news is particularly poignant: for a bowl of noodles costing 15 yuan, the owner only makes a profit of 0.75 yuan, while the landlord takes seven times that amount. It’s like running a small business where you wake up early and work late to cook and serve customers, only to hand over most of your earnings in rent, leaving you with a meager income. What’s more concerning is the role of delivery platforms. They may offer subsidies to attract you to use their services, but once they monopolize the market (for example, all nearby customers using just that one platform), they will increase their fees (from 10% to 20%). This further reduces the owner’s profits, much like landlords raising rent—there’s no choice but to accept it because customers are all on that platform.
2. GDP Has Tripled, but Why Haven’t Physical Businesses Seen More Benefits?
GDP represents the overall size of a country’s economy, and it has indeed grown, but the way the wealth is distributed has changed. Over the past 15 years, sectors such as real estate (landlords) and internet platforms have seen much faster growth in profits than physical businesses. For instance, rent increases by 5% annually, while noodle shop owners cannot afford to raise prices significantly for fear of losing customers. Meanwhile, platform fees continue to rise, leaving business owners with less revenue. In short, although the “cake” of economic activity has grown, the portion allocated to small businesses has become smaller due to rising costs.
3. Platform Subsidies: A Sweet Offer Now, but a Potential Threat in the Future
Platforms offer subsidies (such as reducing delivery fees or providing free traffic) not out of charity, but to gain market dominance. Once they control the market, they can set prices at will—increasing fees from 15% to 25%. Business owners either have to accept lower profits or quit their businesses due to lack of revenue. This is similar to landlords monopolizing storefronts: if you want to open a shop in a popular area, you have no choice but to pay high rent.
4. If Small Business Owners Fail, It Affects Everyone
Small business owners are not insignificant; they are the “capillaries” of the economy:
- Employment: Noodle shops hire chefs and servers, fruit stores employ staff—these jobs provide livelihoods for ordinary people.
- Convenience of Life: Without local breakfast shops and convenience stores, we would have to travel further to buy essentials.
- Economic Circulation: Only when small business owners make a profit can they invest in new equipment, hire more employees, and increase spending, thus keeping the economy thriving. If these businesses fail, it affects our lives and wallets.
This news serves as a reminder that the struggles of small physical business owners are not isolated; they are closely connected to our daily lives. The food we eat and the products we buy all depend on these entrepreneurs who work hard to survive. Only when they are doing well can our lives be more stable.