Online offerings optimize experience

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd has revamped one-fourth of RT-Mart International Ltd's nearly 400 supermarkets across China, having already synchronized its online and offline resources to merge customers' shopping experience.

Using Alibaba's Hema supermarket chain as a model, RT-Mart has rolled out a series of features aiming to improve the customer experience, including in-store fulfillment of online orders, interactive kiosks, and a selection of popular products from Alibaba's Tmall e-commerce website.

Thanks to a joint purchase agreement covering product sourcing between Hema and RT-Mart, customers can purchase products from Hema's Daily Fresh program. Meat, vegetables and dairy products are brought in and replaced each day to ensure that only the freshest items are available.