'New Retail' integrates online, offline channels

Shopper convenience, user experience and brands' need for ubiquity drive change

China may have emerged the world's largest consumer market by 2016-end, but it's only recently that steps to revolutionize the retail-scape have accelerated, with merchants and brands hailing the dawn of so-called 'New Retail', according to consultancy eMarketer.

New Retail is a term that roughly indicates a combination of the best in physical and online retail. In the words of Jack Ma, founder and chairman of e-commerce behemoth Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd, New Retail is making the distinction between physical and virtual commerce obsolete.