BETONVILLE, AR - After nabbing former Tesco executive Simon Belsham for the position of President of Jet.com last week, Walmart is making even more moves to stay relevant in the Amazon era. The retailer has just opened its first small-sized supermarket outlet in China: a futuristic shop fitted with “smart retail” tech features, according to Reuters.

The store, located in Shenzhen, will stock approximately a mere 8K products, including fresh produce, and 90 percent of which will also be available on the Walmart’s Chinese online marketplace JD.com, the news source reported. This move not only fortifies Walmart against encroaching Amazon, but also grants the retailer foothold in China where retail and tech groups like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd have already begun working to integrate shoppers’ online and offline experiences.

Increasing its accessibility and ease-of-use even further, the new tech-savvy shop offers delivery to customers within a two-kilometer radius in as little as 29 minutes. Customers at the new Walmart facility will also have access to a mini program on Tencent Holding Ltd’s WeChat as they shop, bypassing traditional checkout counters and paying on their mobile devices, according to Reuters.

Will this launch make its way Stateside? To stay in the know on small format and tech savvy grocery, keep reading AndNowUKnow.

Walmart