JD.com follows Alibaba and Tencent into hi-tech physical retail
Beijing — JD.com has opened the first of a chain of hi-tech supermarkets in Beijing, following archrival Alibaba Group Holding into the world of physical retail. The envisioned chain of 7Fresh stores represent its biggest foray into traditional retail, and like Alibaba it is counting on reaching new customers and securing valuable data by connecting online and offline shopping. JD’s new stores and Alibaba’s Hema chain both allow shoppers to use a mobile app and digital payments to complement their browsing. JD, Wal-Mart Stores’ partner in China, is counting on control of its supply chain and long experience sourcing its own inventory to compete with Alibaba, which mostly acts as a platform for other merchants. The new store in Beijing’s Yizhuang neighbourhood offers features such as screens that display information on items that shoppers pick up, and robot carts that follow customers as they browse the aisles. Like Hema, it also offers a restaurant and imported fresh food to cater t...
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