Catering to the Mixed Need for Consumption Upgrading and Degrading Matters More than Taking Sides in the Era of New Retailing

In March 2015, online retailer Alibaba launched the offline supermarket chain Hema, ushering in the era of brick-and-clicks “new retail.” Since then, other Chinese Internet giants have been partnering with offline companies that have physical locations. The trend traveled overseas with Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods. What will the world look like as online behemoths continue to curl their tendrils into the world of brick-and-mortar? Writing for TMTPost, a Chinese platform for technology and business news, Zeng Xiangling offers predictions for the retail market and suggests how offline retailers should respond to the current market.