Chinese retail giant Suning has opened its first smart retail experience centre as an upgrade to its flagship store in Nanjing.
 
The centre aims to provide smart lifestyle experience for consumers, which is also a benchmark for Suning strategic retail development. Since its opening in December 1999, the flagship store has accumulated more than two million members over 20 years while it has witnessed the transformation and development of China’s home appliance retail industry.
 
The upgrade is the result of the integration of the digital economy and the first-store economy, bringing consumers a digital and modern shopping experience.
 
The store aims to break time and space restrictions, achieve 24-hour sampling of all categories, accelerate the integration of all scenarios, and open up dual-line products and services. Consumers will benefit from the smart screen virtual shelf to purchase products and creating shopping experiences through internet tools such as applets, communities and live streaming.
 
Not only satisfied with brick-and-mortar stores, the upgraded flagship has transformed to an omnichannel platform. Offline shopping has become an option while product and scenario experiences differentiate it from traditional shops.
 
To improve consumers’ experience, Suning added many technological and lifestyle elements. When customers enter the store, they will be drawn to a showroom that uses a technological design covering 400 square metres and composed of three LED screens to form an L-shaped stage, interactive screen and three transparent window screens. This will be sued for product launches, high-end shows and PR activities.
 
Furthermore, several internet famous products and brands have been introduced into the flagship store to cater to younger people to increase their interactions, including Hygge Coffee, Biu Smart Home appliances, Dyson, Joyoung Line and the 5G Experience Lounge.
 
Because consumers can select and purchase products from the virtual shelf, the upgraded store achieved a GMV of RMB10m in 58 seconds and reached RMB100m in 13 hours. Smartphones, air-conditioners, refrigerators, sun cream and steak were the top five popular categories for consumers.