(ECNS) – Sinopec EasyJoy Sales Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chinese oil giant Sinopec, has opened a flagship convenience store at Taobao, China's largest online shopping platform, marking a new step in its cross-border operation initiatives.
The online store officially opened for business on April 10, focusing on local specialties of Mount Wuyi in southeast China's Fujian Province, such as tea, alcohol, agricultural products, snacks and handicrafts.
Customers who order products from the online store are given the option of picking up their goods at a nearby Sinopec gas station. In the future, Sinopec's more than 30,000 gas stations will serve as pick-up points and terminals for the logistics sector to meet customer needs.
The online store has entered into cooperative agreements with more than 30 local enterprises to secure first-hand, high-quality products at low prices, the Securities Daily reported on Monday.
It will also provide tourists to Mount Wuyi with tickets, hotel bookings, and tour guide services.
Sinopec Chairman Fu Chengyu recently said that the company is fully prepared to shift its main business from fuel retailing to convenience stores at its gas stations across the country.
Since the company kicked off an ownership reform last year, Sinopec has been exploring new business models.
Beijing-based EasyJoy was set up in March 2014 to focus on non-oil retailing businesses and auto services. It had opened 24,000 outlets across China as of the end of 2014.
