Founded in Taiwan in 1996, expanded across mainland China as one of the 'big three' hypermarkets alongside 沃尔玛 (Walmart) and 家乐福 (Carrefour). Acquired by Alibaba in 2017; became a meme-factory in 2024.
A 2024 viral catchphrase on Douyin/Xiaohongshu, invented by creator 潘宏 — mock-dramatic backstory used as a self-deprecating meme about low-status past experience.
