Suning.com’s first-quarter online sales soared 40.87 per cent as the company’s smart-retail strategy continues to drive the rapid growth.
Operating income of RMB 62.2 billion (US$9.2 billion), represented a 25.44 per cent increase on the same period last year. First-quarter net profit was RMB 136 million.
In a statement, Suning.com said during the first quarter of this year, the overall domestic consumer market in Mainland China still exhibited potential for growth.
“Despite the softer market environment, Suning’s online and offline businesses maintained relatively rapid growth.”
Off-line, Suning continued its large-scale expansion, its network comprising 9758 self-owned stores and 2571 franchise stores as at March 31. A standout was the Redbaby store, whose sales increased by 15.7 per cent year on year.
“In the online market, with the enhanced industrial synergy and the improved efficiency brought by resource integration, the growth rate of Suning’s sales clearly outpaced the industry average,” the company said.
During the quarter, the company set up five major product groups including household appliances, consumer electronics, FMCG, clothes and accessories, and international items to streamline product management.
In the FMCG sector, Suning strengthened its brand and achieved dual online-offline growth through centralised procurement, purchasing directly from the manufacturer and strategic cooperation, which helped grow its network of offline stores.
“In the same period, Suning has further optimised the supply chain management of online and offline stores through the acquisition of 37 Wanda stores, marking a significant success for Suning’s all-categories product portfolio operational strategy.”