Wednesday, May 8, 2013

A fitness China (Senior Living) Problem


At long serve you for a post that has below what 5, 000 words! The other day, I was day one Chairman in your 2nd annual Retirement Right here World China conference inside of of of Shanghai. In seeing which the was the second such conference and we are, in effect, at the same fourth year of all in all industry, I began to reflect that it high time and energy some quantitative, analytical shows. Alas, despite my encouragement and pleadings inside corporate sponsor/event manager to get presentation standards, I got frustrated. But there were many individuals very good presentations as well as very welcome announcement from Mark Spitalnik and Tom Hill they have founded the China section of IAHSA. Congratulations! to these visionaries.

Perhaps it endures as early and China is generally, after all, not the most transparent environment for medical care data collection. However, development of presentations which attempt to resolve industry issues really should not be binary, meaning a best efforts analysis or not.... I mean, it i can to make studied deductions in line with market observations and offer them lets start on debate without access to reams of info. Insightful presentations can be accomplished in a detailed manner and when they may not bring the weight of an informative, full market scan using any publicly available, indisputable company; they are helpful if for nothing else than high aspects deliberation.

On day two We had arrived told I offered up such a presentation and I firmly believe it is the first attempt at a supply/demand read the China senior living audience. Here is my hypothesis and what I said:

Hypothesis:

"Near term developing on supply in China individual living assets, particularly the aid of high-end lifestyle product, may significantly outpace demand of course, if true, the resulting imbalance could persist for the mid-term... "

The Fuel Rods

The airport taxi driver of China's nascent senior living industry is naturally its demographics and much has been produced of this phenomenon. Not that the demographics of China aren't unusual in their structure or amazing in their enormity, they are definitely; but I have found the popularity with the data and their would prefer to be wholly without a vital assessment. For example, everyone speaks about the 170 million Chinese seniors over the age of 65... and this is indeed the figure typically reported by the varieties Chinese authorities and held by the China Research Place emphasis on Ageing (CRCA). But this figure is definitely a gross number and were vetted for those characteristics that might preclude one's use from the senior living facility, which characteristics are namely income as well as other cultural inclinations. In likely to go on, as of today, no-one has really attempted that is able to qualitatively assign a size as to what I call the Far eastern Senior Living cohort (CSL cohort). Absolutely suit: what is the population cohort that might be reliably measured/thought of as usually composed of persons that have the requisite characteristics to a senior living factory?

Fact is, there are no indisputable figures which can often lead one to an unquestionable calculation of the figures on the CSL cohort. But I have done just a little work in on exceptionally figure, such as a new conjoint analysis of 550 maturing persons, estimates of how many those older Chinese who are earning over RMB 250, 000 per year and careful overview of certain luxury retail sale from which inferences can be accomplished about population size along with other observations. Based on of this analyses, I strongly believe the CSL cohort of Chinese seniors that senior living facilities will have to draw their residents will only be today approximately 10. 2 million or roughly 6% from the total population of Chinese 65 and more than (170 million). This CSL cohort will expand 12% along the next 4 years that is able to approximately 11. 4 million by 2016 in order to standard population growth estimates made available from the CRCA.

The Reactor

Over the recent past three years, I believe traveled from Harbin to make available Sanya, from Shanghai to Chengdu at my search for and study of senior living projects on to China; my interest is based on their construction not only from the size, design and physical view but also in the creation of their service and aged-care methods. The result from this exploration genuinely database of projects replete with relevant training in their construction, operations, cost and occupancy along critical industry data. To gain my knowledge, this data yields the easiest available metrics on current way of getting senior living in Recipes.

At present, based on my very own observations, I know offered to be approximately 25 (give vs take 2) senior household projects in China. WE HAVE ALL define "senior living projects" to work as 1) a western passcode residential project, 2) built in the earlier 5 years, 3) specifically constructed which intended for adults over 60, 4) age suited amenities for recreation very same time living support and, 5) offering someone or combination of the living accommodations: independent residing, Assisted Living and aged-care or just skilled nursing capabilities. Quite concrete example, this list could well be such well known projects as Yue Cheng available as Beijing, Yanda International Our best City in Hebei rural area and Qinggang Elderly Nursing Center in Chongqing.

It should be well noted that i am not making any difference strata title projects, rental projects or other unique operating characteristic as being a membership program. This analysis will be broad, industry wide compilation of projects which go through 5 criteria set forward above. I readily admit your is somewhat of an indiscriminate enquiry so because of this may restrict the extent to which I can make clarity projections, but we have to start somewhere. Here are some further data frequent present inventory and current supply conclusions:

  • Current supply a present total bed telephone number of 12, 500 (average of 500 beds per project);


  • There will be total census (occupancy) in these projects of 4, 250 yielding market wide occupancy of 35%;


  • Using a CSL cohort figure of 10. 2 million, you would have it the current penetration minute rates are approximately. 04% (only relevant lower western industry standards men and women 6%-7%).

Loss of Coolant

Measuring future demand and supply is a wholly different matter that exercise really relies after my firm's presence shopping place and our need to know in noting all projects moving into planning (i. e., architectural drawings complete which ownership of land) or being built. This is simply because there is no clearing house for such data presently often China; no one monitors these projects, collectively. So apart from what we have stored here, one would need to go out and spend 12 changing seasons counting projects, which is regarded as a next best alternative. Over and over again, our data on these figures come through clients, discussions with site visitors and visits to situation planning commissions or larger officials.

Our data, in relation to future supply, is the subsequent:

  • There are 450 plenish projects currently under arranging throughout China, of which i believe 75% (allowing becoming an 25% attrition or cancelled projects) is to be completed in 2-5 winds;


  • If completed, these projects will discharge new supply of 168, 750 new beds (500 bed average) yielding a standard bed inventory of 181, three hundred beds.

The vastly challenging aspect of this daily life determining what future demand will be the. We have long discussed this during my firm, consulted with CRCA friends and widely agreed among us absolutely calculus exists today for estimate future senior bar demand. So, after typically deliberation, we decided to only ask a different mystery, namely: What level of demand could well be necessary to achieve set of two threshold scenarios: 1) market wide 75% occupancy (liminal feel scenario) and, 2) market wide 40% occupancy (meltdown scenario) at one point all 168, 750 most popular beds came online?

  • Scenario 1: Sufficient demand growth to try 75% occupancy (industry wide) requires 32x popularity of bed occupancy (linear estimate of 136, 000 fast paced beds from 4, 250) - penetration rate of 1. 2%; and 


  • Scenario 2: Rise in demand to 40% occupancy (industry wide) requires 17x advancement of bed occupancy (again linear: seventy two, 500 occupied beds because of 4, 250) and penetration rate of. 64%.

Taken alone and without worrying about additional context, these are staggering growth figures but, superficially unachievable. However, there are mitigants that scenarios as they strictly appear above may not occur. Yet some economic situation fallout, and some is operative word, is important.

Moderation of Chain Reaction

The Offshore Syndrome, starring Jack Lemmon, Margaret Fonda and Michael Douglas, became a gripping 1979 drama in the potential dangers of atomic power. The term, China Syndrome, refers to to be a catastrophic accident, the fictional result navigation systems meltdown of a nuclear reactor beginning with trimming coolant fluid in the reactor also , the partial or complete exposure with this fuel element assemblies. The core elements melt and burn onto the containment vessel, the housing building however notionally through the crust and body of the world until reaching the other side of the world, which in the Blog owner is popularly looked at as China.

However, in though, the physics of the actual China Syndrome is already held to be unrealistic for almost all reasons, most notably, the law of gravity. Yet, a large leak, hundreds of miles full of and thoroughly contaminated for thousands of years with deadly radiation is troublesome enough. In repeated fashion, a China senior your life Syndrome is my fanciful account on the I see as a potentially impaired market on such basis as unrestrained, wildly speculative popularity of senior facilities. Such a scenario may perhaps retard operational growth for a long time.

It is entirely possible that a China senior living Syndrome will not occur and I have a minimal amount 4 reasons exactly why (all likely and reassuring):

  1. Capital constraints may restrain supply- every developer via China (unlisted) needs cash today and without it he is unlikely to pursue further the insufficient development;



  2. Lumpy, inefficient market- This inquiry is admittedly theoretical for almost all reasons but most importantly because it is based on: i) market without publicly available details, ii) gross, industry wide averages and iii) a sufficient share analysis which often does not strictly apply in nascent proceedings. It is however, and that i stress, not entirely far-fetched;



  3. Developer attrition- Neophyte Plates senior living developers may opt out within a i) eventual realization that senior living is just not a property business, ii) exceedingly long out dated ROI and iii) high standard of complications with having build operator;



  4. The China axiom- Particularly the early 1990's Nokia mobile phone lesson where great debate manifested on how many cellphone should be produced regarding first manufacturing run... then decided that 50 trillion was sufficient; they learned ninety days later that demand was really 500 million. In period, never underestimate China; demand could your theoretical supply.

Resumption of controlled fission

I believe it is impossible that the industry wouldn't experience some over-capacity soon, in fact with show occupancy at 35% we're already there. But even over the following two years with more intense excess supply, given complication of an embryonic put on the market, it will be wholly easy for astute, well prepared developers to make available "beat the market" whilst exceed industry averages around occupancy; I have certain on this. But preparation and market insight will probably be the threshold imperatives for exploiting out-performance. Going forward, reliance upon one's previous experience, gemstone western or local, will probably be inadequate. And finally normally made available, Good News! As a result to however severe or cold mild the over-capacity with an, I project that through 2014 the China senior living landscape is to be populated with "value add" opportunities or the new age in distressed investing where winners are masters of both real estate and operating sides with this business.

Lastly, I want to make a few remarks on the I perceive as huge, over-estimation of the top rated senior living market within China. I define the high-end as projects to somewhat of a membership cost of RMB1. 5 million a lot more, or in the couple of a unit sales styles and designs, a cost per square meter of RMB30, 000 a lot more. The mid-range is represented coming from a project with a membership the price RMB500, 000 to RMB1, 000, 000 or, again in the matter of a unit sales demo, a cost per square meter of RMB10, 000 to gain RMB20, 000.

Today, despite letter market chatter, there is no successful high-end senior your life project in China... none, period. In fact, you will find several examples of very unsuccessful high-end attempts. What might be more, the successful (read: moderately successful) projects which exist today are solidly while watching mid-range of the market. The reasons for this are just emerging, but I think it matters a number of vogue:

  • No truly 5 hottie senior living operator exists to go with a high-end facility, so residents continue to without meaningful services; in which case,



  • Chinese seniors aged 70+ are kids of the revolution, civil revolution, famine... you name the television... they have no reduction in traumatic experiences. All is the has made them the exact same thrifty, frugal spenders.... even while wealthy. Conspicuous consumption is defined as the domain of those born bash death of Mao.

Again, Might be wrong, but it feels like the Emperor has certainly no clothes... there is little to no data to support top-rated senior lifestyle facilities. O . k . my caveat: specifically excluded within discussion is a top-rated, need-based product or sub-acute, years to come care facility. I see tremendous demand here as every single skilled geriatric health care facility in China posesses a long waiting list, particularly the elite hospitals that provide high government or armed officials.

With this article, I am clearly revising my mind on the China mature living market. It isn't any negative revision at what; I am just well tuning my outlook to complement them near term choppy avenues. In the long term, I remain very assured. I live, eat and sleep the corporation and see it evolving enter but no longer do i have the blind faith initially high-end market I when you have held: I am now agnostic and prescribe a "hold" at best to this sub-sector. Further, the potential over put on the market and probable slow dutie curve concerns me soon. I recommend going "long" on what mid to lower-mid range market or swap out to the sub-acute, skilled healthcare sector; there's reliable data there with zero catastrophic meltdown in vision.

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