– Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

The heyday of Taiwan's hypermarkets

At one time there were over 10 different brands operating simultaneously

of hypermarkets

Some appeared quickly

and disappeared just as fast

Today, let's hop in a time machine

and travel back to those vanished

yet unforgettable hypermarket years

See how they were born and flourished

and how they gradually faded into history

Makro

Considered the pioneer of Taiwan's hypermarkets

In 1989, the Dutch chain Makro officially launched in Taiwan

The first store opened in Bade, Taoyuan

Back then, Taiwanese shoppers

當時的台灣人

had never seen this kind of shopping model

You even needed a membership card to get in

At that time,

having a Makro membership card was a status symbol

Only businesses with a profit registration could apply

If you didn't have a card, you couldn't enter

Stepping into Makro

felt like entering a giant warehouse

The shelves towered like small mountains

Huge pack sizes made you buy until your arms ached

In an era dominated by traditional markets

and small grocery stores,

a massive, warehouse‑like store suddenly appeared

It had everything

and prices were unbelievably low

Makro was famous for its roast chicken

and was the first place introducing Taiwanese shoppers

to Lay’s potato chips

right here

What’s more,

Makro banned children under 12 from entering

Parents had to leave their kids in a play area at the entrance

得先把小孩寄放在門口的兒童遊戲區

Many still remember

being left at the Makro playground as a child

waiting for adults to pick you up

During its peak, Makro opened 12 stores across Taiwan

At its best, daily sales could reach 45 million NT$

But good times didn’t last

After 14 years of operation,

it suddenly announced the closure of all its Taiwanese stores in 2003

Why did this hypermarket pioneer fade away?

Mainly because the locations were too remote

and the membership requirement was a barrier

To skirt regulations back then,

Makro could only open stores in industrial zones or suburbs

When it first opened, people would even drive specially to shop there

Later,

competitors like Carrefour and RT-Mart opened stores in convenient city locations without membership cards

有家樂福大潤發等免會員卡的勁敵

開到市區方便地段

Makro’s remote sites began to lose customers

And the rule barring children

directly turned away many family shoppers

It was inconvenient to shop at a huge store without being able to bring your kids

Over time,

housewives started switching to other hypermarkets

家庭主婦們就改投別家量販的懷抱

Thus, once‑glorious Makro slipped into history

But the memory of families loading up their cars on weekends,

membership cards in hand, still lives on in many childhood recollections

Tesco

特易購 Tesco

is the UK’s third‑largest global supermarket group

This British retail giant

entered Taiwan in 1998

At that time Tesco announced

that it would invest NT$25 billion over five years to open 20 stores

A bold move

Initially, Tesco indeed opened many locations

from Taoyuan’s Jingguo Road, Zhongli, to Taipei’s Sanmin, Xindian, Taichung, Tainan

到台北 三民 新店 台中 台南

you could see Tesco signs everywhere

They even introduced a 24‑hour, never‑closing concept

a first in Taiwan’s hypermarket history

Tesco’s store style leaned European

特易購的賣場風格偏向歐式

while also carrying local products

They even brought some UK‑origin brands

giving Taiwanese shoppers a whole new experience

It felt like strolling through a small international department store in your neighborhood

逛了一間小型國際百貨

However, Tesco’s stay in Taiwan was short

perhaps due to fierce competition

or a mismatch with local tastes

overall performance fell short of expectations

Just seven years later,

in 2005 Tesco decided to withdraw from Taiwan

selling its six Taiwanese locations

for €132 million to Carrefour

Interestingly,

the deal included a swap condition

Carrefour agreed to transfer its 15 stores in the Czech Republic and Slovakia to Tesco

的15家門市轉讓給特易購

effectively swapping territories between the two retail giants

With the transaction completed,

Tesco’s sign disappeared from Taiwan

Taiwan Sugar Corporation (TaiSugar) set up a hypermarket division in 2001

aiming to shift from traditional sugar production to retail

Its first store opened in Nanzhi, Kaohsiung

with a floor area of 6,000 pyeong

Leveraging its state‑owned brand

TaiSugar’s hypermarket peak featured

five large hypermarket stores

and seven supermarkets

a total of 12 locations

The biggest feature of TaiSugar’s hypermarkets

was that they showcased TaiSugar’s own products

like TaiSugar pork, ice desserts,

health foods, and more

After shopping, you could indulge in the food court

For many southern families,

a weekend drive to TaiSugar for groceries and then a snack for a free gift is a cherished memory

然後吃美食換贈品是美好的回憶

People especially miss the classic hot dogs

After checking out, you’d head to the food street for a hot dog

TaiSugar hypermarkets

offered a warm and practical shopping experience

But faced with Carrefour, RT-Mart,

and later the rise of PX Mart,

TaiSugar was squeezed and posted losses every year from 2011 onward

From 2011 to 2017,

TaiSugar accumulated a loss of NT$2.43 billion

Finally, on June 16 2019,

TaiSugar’s hypermarket business officially ended

All its stores were taken over by Carrefour

Although the sign now reads Carrefour,

some longtime customers

still call the former locations TaiSugar

Many friends in the south say

the hot dogs at TaiSugar were especially tasty

and after it became Carrefour, they’re gone

They reminisce about the days of swapping points for candy

Even though TaiSugar’s hypermarkets have closed,

the lingering memory is full of warmth and community

Wellcome

Wellcome is considered Taiwan’s first supermarket

In 1971,

the nation’s first supermarket‑style store

Wellcome opened on Zhongxiao East Road in Taipei

funded by businessmen like Li Hong‑wen

Wellcome wasn’t just about selling goods

it also featured a snack corner,

a coffee shop,

a bowling alley,

and a children’s playground

The “Wellcome” shopping district was named after it

and became the starting point for development in Taipei’s East District

Since then,

Wellcome has accompanied Taiwanese shoppers for over thirty years

At its peak, it expanded to more than 200 stores nationwide

Wellcome pursued a community‑supermarket model rather than a big‑box format

Stores were small,

but fully stocked

The distinctive red‑and‑yellow logo

and weekly discount flyers at the entrance

Stepping inside,

you’d hear familiar in‑store announcements

paired with air‑conditioning

and the mixed aromas of fresh produce and baked bread

All of which give Wellcome a friendly, home‑like feel

For many housewives,

pushing a cart and shopping at Wellcome was daily routine

For kids,

the best part of following Mom to Wellcome

was getting a candy or sticker at the checkout

就是到收銀台旁拿一顆糖果或貼紙

In the early 2000s,

Wellcome consistently held the top spot among supermarkets

but with the rise of discount chains like PX Mart,

competition grew fierce

In 2020, shocking news broke

that the Carrefour Group would acquire Wellcome

The announcement surprised and saddened many

不少人既驚訝又感傷

after all, Wellcome’s community‑supermarket era had become part of everyday life

曾是大家的日常

The once‑familiar Wellcome sign was gradually taken down

replaced by Carrefour’s new branding

By 2021, all stores had become Carrefour

and that classic red‑background, yellow‑white logo

vanished into history

RT‑Mart

In 1996,

the chairman of the Runtaij Group, Yin Yán‑liáng, founded RT‑Mart

The first store opened in Pingzhen, Taoyuan in 1997

RT‑Mart’s business concept

was to combine the fresh, affordable feel of traditional markets

融合傳統市場的新鮮量販店的實惠

with the comfort and convenience of department stores

It arrived during the hypermarket “Warring States” era

Domestic supermarket chains were all rushing into large‑scale stores

本土超市業者紛紛投入大型賣場

RT‑Mart leveraged its local advantage to expand quickly

At its peak, it operated 24 stores across Taiwan

with annual sales exceeding NT$40 billion

From fresh produce and everyday groceries

to appliances and bedding

everything could be bought in one trip

RT‑Mart became known for its wide selection and low prices

frequent promotions guaranteed low prices

bright red discount posters were everywhere

creating a lively shopping atmosphere

Many recall going to RT‑Mart for holiday shopping

每逢過年節慶去大潤發採買年貨

feeling the festive spirit and crowds

Those bustling scenes remain unforgettable

However,

in 2022 PX Mart announced it would acquire RT‑Mart

The following year, RT‑Mart was rebranded as “Da‑PX”

When the news spread,

消息傳開

long‑time customers expressed regret

after all, RT‑Mart had accompanied Taiwanese shoppers

for almost two decades

and its price and quality matched Carrefour and PX Mart

so its closure felt like a loss

收掉實在可惜

In 2025, RT‑Mart officially concluded its history

All former stores were converted to PX Mart

RT‑Mart ultimately became a tear of the era

These hypermarkets that have entered history

each played a role in Taiwan’s consumer culture evolution

Even though their signs have been taken down,

the picture of families pushing carts through bright aisles on weekends

will always stay in our hearts

If you have memories of other vanished hypermarkets,

如果

feel free to share them in the comments

And don’t forget to subscribe, like, and share

也別忘了訂閱按讚分享

so more people can rediscover Taiwan’s hypermarket era

See you in the next episode

Goodbye

[Chinese]

台灣的量販店全盛時期

同時存在超過10個以上

不同品牌的量販店

其中有些來得快

走得也快

今天就讓我們一起搭上時光機

回到那些已消失

卻仍讓人念念不忘的量販年代

看看它們如何誕生如何輝煌

以及又是怎麼一步步走向歷史的

萬客隆

可是台灣量販店的開山祖師爺

1989年 這家來自荷蘭的Makro量販店

正式登陸台灣

第一家店就開在桃園八德

當時的台灣人

根本沒見過這種購物模式

竟然要辦會員卡才能進去

當年

能拿到萬客隆會員卡可是很威風的事

必需要有營利事業登記證才能辦卡

一般人沒有卡還進不去呢

走進萬客隆

彷彿走進一座巨大的貨倉

貨架堆得像小山一樣高

大包裝商品讓人買到手軟

在那個傳統市場

和小雜貨店當道的年代

突然出現一個像倉庫一樣大的賣場

裡面什麼都有

而且價格超便宜

當時萬客隆最有名的就是那個手扒雞

還有第一次讓台灣人認識

品客洋芋片的地方

就是這裡

最特別的是

萬客隆禁止12歲以下的小孩入場

爸媽逛賣場前

得先把小孩寄放在門口的兒童遊戲區

不少人仍記得

小時候被丟在萬客隆門口遊戲室

等大人的回憶

萬客隆全盛時期全台開了12家店

最厲害的時候一天營業額可到4500萬

然而好景不常

在經營14年後

它於2003年突然宣佈全台門市停業

為什麼這位量販始祖會黯然謝幕呢

主要是地點太偏僻

加上會員制門檻

萬客隆當年為避開法規

只能開在工業區或郊區

剛開始獨家經營時

大家還會專程開車去

後來

有家樂福大潤發等免會員卡的勁敵

開到市區方便地段

萬客隆偏遠的據點就漸漸吃虧了

再加上不能帶小孩逛

這點直接勸退了一堆家庭客

逛個大賣場還不能帶小孩

實在很不方便

久而久之

家庭主婦們就改投別家量販的懷抱

就這樣昔日輝煌的萬客隆走入歷史

但當年全家大小週末開著車

拿著會員卡大肆採買的情景

仍是許多人難忘的童年回憶

特易購 Tesco

是來自英國的全球第三大超市集團

這家英國零售龍頭

在1998年進入台灣市場

當年特易購放話

5年內要砸250億元開設20家分店

氣勢如虹

一開始特易購也真的開了不少家店

從桃園經國路 中壢

到台北 三民 新店 台中 台南

都能看到特易購招牌

他們甚至引進了24小時

不打烊的營業模式

成為台灣量販店史上的創舉

特易購的賣場風格偏向歐式

本土化商品也兼具

據說還帶來了一些英國自有品牌商品

讓台灣消費者大開眼界

感覺在自家附近

逛了一間小型國際百貨

然而特易購在台灣的日子並不長久

或許是市場競爭激烈

又或者水土不服

整體業績未達預期

短短7年後

在2005年 特易購決定撤出台灣

將在台灣的6家量販據點

以1.32億歐元賣給了家樂福

有趣的是

這筆交易還伴隨一項交換條件

家樂福同意把他們在捷克和斯洛伐克

的15家門市轉讓給特易購

等於兩大零售巨頭在國際間對調地盤

隨著這樁交易案完成

特易購的招牌自此在台灣消失

台糖2001年成立量販事業部

想要從傳統的糖業轉型到零售業

台糖的第一家店在高雄楠梓開幕

營業面積有6000坪

靠著國營企業的光環

台糖量販巔峰時期

全台開出了5家大型量販賣店

及7家超市

共計12個據點

台糖量販最大的特色

就是主打台糖自家產品

像是台糖的豬肉台糖的冰品

台糖的健康食品等等

每次逛完還能在美食區大快朵頤

對南部不少家庭而言

週末全家開車到台糖量販採買

然後吃美食換贈品是美好的回憶

大家最念念不忘就是經典熱狗

結完帳就是要去美食街吃熱狗

台糖量販

帶給消費者親切又實在的感受

然而面對家樂福大潤發

以及後來崛起的全聯等連鎖業者

夾殺台糖量販從2011年起連年虧損

從2011到2017年

台糖量販累計虧損高達24.3億元

最後在2019年6月16日

台糖量販正式走入歷史

所有門市都被家樂福接手

雖然如今招牌換成了家樂福

但有些老顧客

到現在還是習慣喊那幾家店叫台糖

很多南部的朋友都說

台糖裡面的熱狗特別好吃

變成家樂福之後就再也吃不到了

懷念當年用點數換糖果的美好時光

台糖量販雖然落幕了

留在大家記憶中的卻是滿滿的人情味

頂好 Wellcome

頂好可是台灣超市的鼻祖

1971年

台灣第一家採用超級市場方式經營的

頂好超市在台北忠孝東路開幕

是由工商界人士李鴻文等人投資的

頂好超市不只是賣東西而已

它還設有頂好點心城

頂好咖啡廳頂好保齡球館

跟頂好兒童遊樂場

頂好商圈也因此得名

成為台北東區發展的起點

從那時起

頂好陪伴台灣人度過了三十多年的歲月

一度在全台拓展到超過200多家分店

頂好走的不是量販店路線

而是深入社區的超市風格

店面不大

卻五臟俱全

頂好招牌上那醒目的紅黃Logo

門口常貼滿當週特價海報

踏進店裡

熟悉的廣播聲此起彼落

配上空調

混合著蔬果和現烤麵包的氣味

這些都是頂好給人的親切記憶

對很多家庭主婦而言

每天推著購物車在頂好採買是日常

對小孩子而言

跟著媽媽去頂好買菜

最開心的

就是到收銀台旁拿一顆糖果或貼紙

頂好超市在2000年代前期

一直穩坐超市龍頭

不過隨著全聯等平價超市崛起

競爭越發激烈

2020年時傳出震撼消息

家樂福集團將收購頂好超市

消息一出

不少人既驚訝又感傷

畢竟頂好開創的社區超市時代

曾是大家的日常

昔日熟悉的頂好招牌陸續撤下

取而代之的是家樂福的新招牌

2021年 所有門市都改為家樂福

那個經典的紅底黃白字招牌

就這樣走入了歷史

大潤發

1996年

潤泰集團總裁尹衍樑創立大潤發

1997年 第一家店在桃園平鎮開幕

大潤發的經營理念

是

融合傳統市場的新鮮量販店的實惠

跟百貨公司的舒適便利

當時正逢量販店戰國時代

本土超市業者紛紛投入大型賣場

大潤發憑藉著本土經營優勢迅速擴張

全盛時期全台開了24家分店

年營業額超過新台幣400億元

從生鮮菜肉民生雜貨

一路買到家電寢具

一站購足

大潤發給人的印象是東西齊全又平價

經常推出促銷保證低價

紅通通的特價海報隨處可見

營造出熱鬧的購物氣氛

不少人回憶

每逢過年節慶去大潤發採買年貨

總能感受到滿滿年味和人潮

那種熱絡的場景至今難忘

然而

2022年全聯福利中心宣布併購大潤發

隔年決定將大潤發品牌

正式更名為大全聯

消息傳開

不少老顧客直呼不捨

畢竟大潤發陪伴台灣人

度過了將近20年的購物時光

而且大潤發不管是價錢及品質

都不輸家樂福及全聯

收掉實在可惜

2025年 大潤發正式走入歷史

原有門市全數改為大全聯

大潤發最終也成為時代的眼淚了

這些走入歷史的量販店

每一家都參與了台灣消費文化的變遷

雖然它們的招牌一一被拆下

但那些假日全家出門採買的熱鬧景象

推著購物車穿梭在明亮賣場的畫面

永遠留在我們心中

如果

你也有在其他消失的量販店的回憶

歡迎在留言區分享

也別忘了訂閱按讚分享

讓更多人一起

重新找回屬於台灣的量販時代

我們下期再見

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
量販店 liàng fàn diàn HSK6	noun - mass‑merchandise store, hypermarket
超市 chāo shì HSK4	noun - supermarket
萬客隆 wàn kè lóng HSK6	proper noun - Makro, a Taiwanese hyper‑market chain
特易購 tè yì gòu HSK6	proper noun - Tesco, the British retail giant
台糖 tái táng HSK6	proper noun - Taiwan Sugar Corporation
頂好 dǐng hǎo HSK6	proper noun - Wellcome, a Taiwanese supermarket chain
大潤發 dà rùn fā HSK6	proper noun - RT‑Mart, a large Taiwanese hyper‑market chain
家樂福 jiā lè fú HSK6	proper noun - Carrefour, the French multinational retailer
會員卡 huì yuán kǎ HSK5	noun - membership card
營業額 yíng yè é HSK6	noun - turnover, revenue
童年 tóng nián HSK5	noun - childhood
回憶 huí yì HSK5	noun - memory, recollection
价格 jià gé HSK4	noun - price
便宜 pián yí HSK3	adjective - cheap, inexpensive
购物 gòu wù HSK4	verb - to shop, shopping
货架 huò jià HSK6	noun - shelf, rack
大卖场 dà mài chǎng HSK6	noun - hypermarket
竞争 jìng zhēng HSK5	verb - to compete
转让 zhuǎn ràng HSK5	verb - to transfer, to assign
招牌 zhāo pái HSK5	noun - signboard, shop sign

Key Grammar Structures

• 1989年 這家來自荷蘭的Makro量販店 正式登陸台灣

  ➔ Past simple with a time adverb

  ➔ The phrase "正式登陸" marks a completed past action; the time word "1989年" tells us when it happened.

• 當時的台灣人 根本沒見過這種購物模式

  ➔ Negative past experience with 沒+見過

  ➔ The word "沒" negates the verb "見過", indicating that at that time they had never "seen" such a shopping model.

• 必需要有營利事業登記證才能辦卡

  ➔ Modal necessity with 必需...才能

  ➔ "必需要" expresses a strong necessity, and "才能" sets the condition: only "if you have a business registration" can you apply for the card.

• 萬客隆禁止12歲以下的小孩入場

  ➔ Prohibition construction with 禁止 + noun

  ➔ "禁止" directly blocks the noun phrase "12歲以下的小孩" from "入場"; the whole clause means "no children under 12 are allowed to enter".

• 全盛時期全台開了12家店

  ➔ Resultative/completed action with 了

  ➔ "開了" uses the perfective particle "了" to show that the opening of 12 stores was completed in that period.

• 一天營業額可到4500萬

  ➔ Potential modal 可 + result verb 到

  ➔ "可" indicates ability/possibility, and "到" shows the result, together meaning "can reach up to 45 million".

• 因為地點太偏僻 加上會員制門檻

  ➔ Causal conjunctions 因為... 加上...

  ➔ "因為" introduces the cause "location too remote" and "加上" adds another cause "membership threshold", linking both reasons together.

• 在經營14年後 它於2003年突然宣佈全台門市停業

  ➔ Temporal clause with 後 and adverb 突然

  ➔ "在經營14年後" sets the time point "after 14 years of operation"; "突然" (suddenly) adds the manner of the announcement.

• 特易購決定撤出台灣 將在台灣的6家量販據點 以1.32億歐元賣給了家樂福

  ➔ 把‑sentence (disposal construction) with 賣給了

  ➔ "將… 以1.32億歐元賣給了家樂福" uses the 把‑construction to show the disposal of the stores: "sell them to Carrefour for 132 million euros".