Yu Donglai

Yu Donglai (Simplified Chinese: 于东来; born 1966) is a Chinese entrepreneur and businessman. He is known for being the founder, chairman and CEO of the retail chain Pangdonglai.[1]

Career

In 1995, with the help of his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, he rented a small, roughly 40 m² shop in Xuchang, originally dealing in tobacco, alcohol, and daily-use goods.[2]

Establishment of Pangdonglai

In August 1997, Yu Donglai renamed his store to "Pangdonglai Tobacco and Alcohol Co., Ltd. (胖东来烟酒有限公司)". Under Yu’s tenure, Pangdonglai evolved and diversified into supermarkets, with a wider product assortment beyond tobacco and alcohol.

From 2000, Yu Donglai distributed company shares to employees, retaining only 10% for himself. In 2006, Pangdonglai opened a branch in Xinxiang. As of 2022, Pangdonglai has more than 30 chain stores in Henan Province, and has developed its own brand system and online sales platform. As of January, the retailer employed about 8,300 workers, with an average monthly salary of 9,000 yuan, according to the company.[3][4]

“Unhappy Leave” Policy

One of Yu’s most notable initiatives is granting staff what he calls “unhappy leave”.[5] In 2024 at the China Supermarket Week forum in late March, he announced that employees of Pangdonglai would be entitled to 10 extra discretionary leave days (on top of annual leave) to take time off when they do not feel mentally or emotionally well.[6]

Early life and education

Yu Donglai was born in 1966 in the city of Xuchang, Henan Province.[7]

Yu graduated from Xuchang No. 7 Middle School. Before founding his business, he had worked various jobs including scalping movie tickets, selling peanuts, and ice pops. In 1984, he started working at a rubber factory, but lost his job when the factory closed down.[8]

References

  1. ^ "China's mega-grocers turn to an upstart to win back shoppers". The Business Times. 2024-07-31. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  2. ^ editordoug (2024-09-16). "A supermarket David defeats Goliath in small-town China, outracing the times - Bamboo Works - China stock insights for global investors". Bamboo Works. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  3. ^ 刘小卓. "Henan retailer's reparation policy fosters workers' rights". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  4. ^ Beddington, Emma (2024-05-12). "Should all workers get unhappiness leave? It beats awaydays, work-life balance seminars and company yoga". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  5. ^ "'Not happy, do not come to work': China tycoon gives workers 'unhappy leave'". South China Morning Post. 2024-04-10. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  6. ^ Ang, May Vin (2024-04-16). ""Not Happy, Don't Come To Work" — Boss In China Gives Employees 10 Days 'Unhappy Leave'". SAYS. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  7. ^ "Profile | Meet China's 'silliest boss', a man who takes employee happiness seriously". South China Morning Post. 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  8. ^ "藏在顶流胖东来里的于东来 - 国内 - 环球人物网". www.globalpeople.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
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