Virtual Supermarkets Taking Hold in China

The Chinese e-commerce company Yihaodian is opening 1,000 virtual supermarkets across the country, using unoccupied city spaces and augmented reality (AR) technology to reach more customers than your typical grocery store.

The Tencent Technology News Monday reported that the virtual stores virtually stock around 1,000 items. Customers use their smartphones to view the stores and have the goods they want delivered to their homes, without having to visit the store and wait in line.

Yihaodian had previously rolled out this idea on a smaller scale, partnering location-based services company Jiepang to provide virtual, QR-code shopping in subway stations of Chinese cities.