Automated and open all hours

On the first floor of a residential building outside the Renmin University of China campus in Beijing, young college graduates pop into an automated self-service convenience store.

They scan their QR codes to enter the shop and pay for their favorite items by using Wechat at a special checkout point before leaving.

After their first visit, facial recognition programs allow shoppers to get in and out of the 24-hour outlet without using QR codes.