Partnership store with Alibaba signals offline foray

China Unicom has teamed up with Alibaba Group to set up a brick-and-mortar electronics store in Shanghai to sell interactive, technology-powered products.

The shop marks the telecom carrier's first business partnership with Alibaba, which has been involved in the telecom carrier's mixed-ownership reform since August 2017.

Located off Jiangsu Road, the Smart Living Experience Store is a 177-square-meter space that offers an array of electronic products like smart speakers, drones and air purifiers. Such products are also available on Tmall and Taobao, Alibaba's online marketplaces.