China’s largest online supermarket Yihaodian is to open 1,000 virtual stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Each store will be around 1,200sq m, located near urban parks, business campuses and office buildings where smartphones are heavily used. Consumers will use a Yihaodian mobile app, which is available for iOS and Android devices.

The stores contain images of food products and prices, which consumers can browse and then order using their mobile phones: their apps will use GPS to pinpoint what they have bought, and process payment. Goods are then delivered to the consumers’ home.

The virtual stores will share the same products as Yihaodian’s online store.

“The new shopping style is more like an interactive game. We expect to attract consumers who like to try something new and who don’t like to do shopping sitting in front of a computer,” said a Yihaodian spokesperson.

Shanghai-based Yihaodian earned CNY2.72bn (US$429.7m) in sales in 2011, up from CNY800.5m in 2010.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.