Civic behavior draws praise from netizens

A video showing customers checking out in an orderly manner at an unmanned store in Shanghai's Baoshan district recently went viral on Chinese social media platform Douyin.

In the video uploaded by the store's owner on Sunday, a man in a black shirt can be seen picking up four packs of cigarettes from a shelf before displaying them to a surveillance camera near the cashier. He then scanned the bar codes on the packs and paid for them using his e-wallet.

"I can't be at the store because my neighborhood is under closed-loop management. This was why I decided to implement the unmanned business mode," said the store owner surnamed Jing.

Jing, who has been keeping an eye on the store through the cameras, said she has been moved by how her customers have been behaving.

"Most of them are regular customers. Everyone pays their bills. In fact, we are now selling more goods than ever before," she added.

The video received a slew of positive comments from netizens, who applauded the honesty of the customers. 

"My trust in customers earned their respect and trust. This is one moment during the pandemic that I will cherish," said Jing.