} ?>
(Yicai Global) June 7 -- The Beijing arm of state-owned telecoms operator China Telecom has teamed up with Suning.Com, one of China's biggest non-state retailers, to build smartphone outlets in the latter's new convenience stores.
The carrier will open at least 400 outlets in Suning Xiaodian stores this year in order to meet rising user demand, the Beijing News reported. There are now 1.4 billion mobile phone users in China, with more handsets in circulation than there are people, according to official data.
The partnership is an important move for the transformation of China Telecom's offline outlets, and will help place stores closer to customers, said Xiao Jinxue, general manager of the firm's Beijing unit.
Suning launched its Xiaodian brand late last year to meet the day-to-day needs of customers, such as shopping, eating and receiving packages while they are not at home. As of May 31, it had 500 stores nationwide and plans to open another 600 in the capital this year, added Bian Nong, head of Suning's fast-moving consumer goods unit.
As well as providing FMCGs and food on the go, the stores offer a range of other services, including home appliance repair, housekeeping and home maintenance, and free WiFi.
Editor: James Boynton