Suning.com tests a shopping centre combining offline and livestreaming

With the closure of retail stores, livestreaming exploded in China. Every day, celebrities and politicians are promoting products and services live across digital channels. The Suning.com Group was founded with electronics (air conditioning) 30 years ago, and rapidly expanded into food (turnover reported in 2019 was US$33.8 billion). The firm now moves up into innovational retail with a refurbished 20,000 sq.m. (GLA) shopping centre in Nanjing (Jiangsu Province) which combines livestreaming and in-store shopping. Opened in September, this includes a supermarket of around 4,000 sq.m. called “Quguangguang” (or “Fun go go” in English). There is also a site for Carrefour (owned by Suning.com) and a live television studio. This is a first for China, a country boasting of continual retail innovation.

In this very experiential shopping centre, Suning.com make and stream video with professional animators and influencers. Participants answer live questions from shoppers, and act as another attraction for visitors. Customers download the Suning.com application to watch these sessions from 4 different studios on site and then buy online.