[Left] Associates are available to assist customers at the self-checkout stations. [Middle left] Associates bag online orders to support the fulfillment process. [Middle right] Some Freshippo stores feature the robot concept restaurants. [Bottom] Handselecting fresh food is important for Chinese consumers. technology and a smart shelf where shoppers learn more product details from a touchscreen when they pick up an item are some of the enhanced digital features. Sporting goods retailer Intersport equipped its Beijing store with digital features that allow shoppers to easily scan a QR code in-store and have the products delivered to their home, while fashion brand Guess? partnered with Alibaba to develop an AI concept store in Hong Kong. According to Guo, mom-and-pop neighborhood convenience stores are also benefitting from New Retail. "Alibaba launched the Lingshoutong (LST) program to help more than 1 million mom-andpop corner stores leverage data and technology to enhance their business operations and reduce costs," he says. The data gathered provides recommendations for store inventory, so store owners can select stock based on the purchasing habits of the people in a specific neighborhood. "The vision of New Retail is to use the technologies we've developed to enable traditional retailers to reinvent their customer experience, increase operation efficiency and profitability," Guo says. "Grocery and Freshippo are only the beginning of how Alibaba is revolutionizing retail. The goal is to incubate New Retail solutions to benefit all brands and retailers, and across all industries, to build the future infrastructure of commerce." 58