Walmart opens first high-tech supermarket in China

BEIJING: Walmart said on Monday it has opened its first small-sized high-tech supermarket in China, which will stock products that customers will also be able to buy at the US retailer’s store on Chinese online marketplace JD.com.



The move comes as “smart retail” gains popularity in China, as retailers and tech giants such as Alibaba and Tencent cut deals to integrate shoppers’ online and offline experience.

Walmart’s store, located in the southern city of Shenzhen, will stock more than 8,000 items ranging from stir-fried clams to fresh fruit, 90 per cent of which will also be available online.

Items shopped can be delivered to customers within a 2-kilometer radius as quickly as 29 minutes, said Walmart, which owns a stake in JD.com.



Walmart said that customers at the new supermarket will be able to use a mini program on Tencent’s WeChat as they shop, and bypass traditional checkout counters by paying via their mobile device.