This Day, That Year: Nov 7

Editor's note: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China.

In November 1982, the first supermarket opened in Beijing, as seen in this item from China Daily. Near the Sanlitun embassy area, the two-story building covered 300 square meters, selling more than 1,000 products, ranging from food to liquor.

Since its opening, people's shopping experience has changed almost beyond recognition.

French retailer Carrefour entered China in 1995, followed by Walmart from the United States in 1996, before market liberalization in November 2004. China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.

The number of convenience outlets climbed 18 percent, adding 11,944 new stores by last year, according to the China Urban Convenience Store Index, released by the China Chain Store and Franchise Association in May.

Thanks to technological development, e-commerce is now a major driver of China's retail economy, accounting for almost one-fifth of the country's total retail sales last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

With several clicks via a tablet or phone, people can get anything delivered to their doorstep.

The number of internet users surged to 830 million last year from 620,000 in 1997. Of them, 610 million shopped online.

To meet the growing trend of e-commerce, traditional retailers also offer online shopping services to improve the buying experience for consumers.

Walmart has integrated e-commerce platform JD Daojia into its more than 250 stores, greatly driving up its online sales.

Carrefour has developed pop-up stores with WeChat, and its online business now covers 149 cities.

To further tap the market, e-commerce giants aim to eliminate the distinction between online and offline commerce via streamlined services from shopping to delivery.

For example, Hema Fresh, a food chain invested in by Alibaba, only accepts online payment at its physical stores. With a mature logistics system, the company allows customers to order online and delivers fresh food within 30 minutes of ordering.