Wu, a consultant at Career International, one of the nation's largest headhunters, specializes in the retail sector and last year, he and his team poached more than 30 senior executives for retailers.

"Retail people are 'hot' these days, as almost every retailer has an expansion plan," says Wu.

The demand for retail talents will only intensify as the government orchestrates the amalgamation of domestic retail enterprises in major cities to form giant groups that can face up to the might of such foreign behemoths as Carrefour and Wal-Mart.

This programme, first mooted in 2004, has begun to take shape, first in Shanghai and more recently in Beijing. The success of such mega-mergers will have a far-reaching impact not only on the retail landscape of the country but also on all the businesses along the huge supply chain.

After decades of rapid economic growth, China is starting to show the potential of an enormous consumer market. Retail sales are expected to expand by 13 per cent to 7.5 trillion yuan (US$937.5 billion) this year, making the nation the world's seventh-largest retail market.

The Ministry of Commerce says the figure will balloon to 10 trillion yuan (US$1.25 trillion) by 2010 at an annual growth of more than 11 per cent.

The rosy prospects have already lured a slew of the world's top retailers into the market, including France's Carrefour SA and US-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc, which have spent years preparing for the boom.

Last year was undoubtedly the starting point of their rapid expansion, as China lifted most restrictions on foreign retailers at the end of 2004, including limits on the number of stores, location and the ownership ceiling, thanks to its commitments to the World Trade Organization.

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