Supermarket giant Tesco has announced plans to launch an online food delivery service in China for the first time later this year.
The launch puts Tesco in direct competition with US rival Wal-Mart which has had a 51 per cent stake in grocery delivery firm Yihaodian since last year. Tesco's service will initially only be available in Shanghai and stores will deliver free to customer homes.
The Shanghai trial could be extended to as many as 50 other Chinese cities if it proves successful.
'Tesco China's online shopping service will enhance our role as a multichannel retailer and provide a better shopping experience for customer in the digital age with an integrated retailing service,' said Tesco China CEO Paul Ritchie.
Tesco first foray online in China was in late 2011 when it began selling mother and baby products on Taobao's Tmall web site. It first opened stores in China in 2004 and has around 130. However, it has begun selectively closing stores as it seeks to curb loss-making parts of its international businesses.
No comments:
Post a Comment