Carrefour launches first smart store

French hypermarket chain Carrefour SA opened its first smart retail store on Sunday in Shanghai, featuring technologies ranging from facial recognition payment to personalized mobile advertisements backed by internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd.

Named Le Marche, the 4,000-square-meter shop marked the first step the partners have taken to rejuvenate conventional retail with internet-enabled services, four months after a Tencent-led investment plan for the French retailer was announced.

All items sold in the store have a distinctive bar code that customers can scan using Tencent's WeChat, the ubiquitous messaging and payment mobile app that boasts over one billion monthly active users.