Shoppers interact with a robot at an unmanned retail store in Shenyang, Liaoning province. ZHAO JINGDONG/FOR CHINA DAILY
China's moves to accelerate innovation in the retail sector are expected to create new sources of consumer demand, inject fresh momentum into the industry and strengthen consumption-driven growth, government officials said on Thursday.
The country issued a guideline setting the goal of establishing a modern retail system and fostering a number of globally competitive retailers by 2030.
Jointly released by the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission and other government departments, the document outlines measures to improve retail planning, encourage new retail offerings, foster new consumer demand, and accelerate the sector's innovative and high-quality development.
Speaking at a news conference in Beijing, Li Jialu, director-general of the department of circulation industry development at the Ministry of Commerce, said China's retail sector has entered a critical stage of transformation, facing challenges including an inefficient retail layout, supply-demand mismatches, rising operating costs and imbalances between online and offline retailing.
