It's whole new shoppers' world

The Friendship Supermarket in Sanlitun, Jenny Wang’s store in Shunyi district and April Gourmet. Expats in Beijing can find almost everything they need in these stores. [Photo by Ye Jun/China Daily]

He said the sales staff only acknowledged customers if they were approached, and the interior layout was Chinese in style and therefore confusing for expat shoppers. The goods were limited in number and range.

However, thing began to change in 2010 when Wu’s company, Ershang — previously known as Commercial Bureau — formed a joint venture with the Hong Kong-based retailer Jointek. The partnership opened a channel to a much wider range of wines and imported food, the twin focuses of Jointek’s business in its home region, and a profound change in the service concept.

The store is managed by Wang Jiahu from Hong Kong, who is always on hand to show the staff how to serve customers. "In the past, we only offered advice or services when the customers asked, but now we take the initiative", he says, adding that the change in attitude has resulted in higher sales figures, especially as the store is now attracting a larger number of Chinese customers.

Because so many supermarkets in Sanlitun cater to the needs of expats, Wang Jiahu believes his store will only attract more customers by providing a better service, giving the patrons in-depth information about the preparation of "exotic" foods and explaining the culture behind them.

Wu said the company intends to build a storehouse-style wine- and liquor-tasting center on the supermarket’s second floor. The company now hopes to turn the store into a "wine city", and become the biggest retailer of food and wine to expats in Sanlitun.