Core Insights - The article highlights the transformation in the retail industry driven by digital economy and consumption upgrades, with COFCO Group's emerging business segment, COFCO Zhishang, leading the way in smart retail through its innovative "Blue Jing Ling" system [1] Group 1: Technology Empowerment - The "Blue Jing Ling" system addresses the pain points of "data silos" and "operational inefficiency" in the retail sector by integrating multidimensional data, thus creating a "full-link intelligence" path for the industry [2] - This system supports over 300,000 smart terminals across 31 provinces and 350 cities in China, enhancing retail operations through big data-driven intelligent site selection, product insights, and marketing outreach [2][3] Group 2: Dual Value Proposition - The system introduces a "last item elimination system" that dynamically optimizes product structure based on sales and quarterly profit rankings, enabling precise selection and marketing tailored to individual machines [3] - COFCO Zhishang's revenue from its retail system is projected to exceed 1 billion yuan in 2024, demonstrating the effectiveness of technology in adapting to market scenarios and the company's deep market penetration [3] Group 3: Integration of Virtual and Physical - The "COFCO Good Products Club" combines sales growth with brand display, allowing for personalized promotional activities and the introduction of virtual products, thus creating a seamless online-offline integration [4][6] - This initiative has been successfully implemented in over ten cities, including Beijing and Guangzhou, showcasing the company's commitment to enhancing brand visibility and consumer engagement [6] Group 4: Ecosystem Development - COFCO Zhishang aims to build a closed-loop ecosystem by collaborating with companies like China Mobile, leveraging advertising and brand partnerships to stimulate consumer engagement and revenue sharing [8] - The company is also exploring new terminal types, such as smart washing machines and coffee machines, to create a comprehensive ecosystem that integrates consumption, services, and data [8] Group 5: State-Owned Enterprise Innovation - As a subsidiary of a state-owned enterprise, COFCO Zhishang emphasizes its role in enhancing both tangible and intangible assets through a "technology + retail + media" model, contributing to the digital transformation of the retail sector [9] - The company provides a quantifiable, replicable, and sustainable innovation path for state-owned enterprise reform by improving asset operation efficiency and accumulating data assets [9]

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the smart retail industry Core Insights - The smart retail industry is characterized by the integration of AI, big data, and IoT technologies to enhance consumer experience and operational efficiency, shifting from a product-centric to a consumer-centric model [12][13][27] - The future development trends of smart retail include internal system integration, instant delivery services, personalized recommendations, and catering to the aging population [6][18] Summary by Sections Research Purpose & Summary - The report aims to systematically outline the practical paths, development history, policy environment, application scenarios, and future trends of smart retail [2] Smart Retail Practice Path - The core principle of smart retail is to utilize emerging technologies to gain insights into consumer habits, predict consumption trends, and guide production, focusing on demand forecasting and store analysis [4][15] - Key applications include smart stores and instant retail, which aim to optimize supply chains and enhance consumer experiences through data integration [4][6] Smart Retail Industry Overview - Smart retail is defined as the reconstruction of the retail industry through AI, big data, and IoT, focusing on consumer experience rather than just products [12][13] - The evolution of China's retail industry has progressed through traditional retail, e-commerce, new retail, and now smart retail, with significant technological integration [18][19] Policy Environment - Since 2020, the government has introduced various policies to encourage the smart transformation of retail facilities and the application of technological achievements in consumer sectors, aiming to establish a modern retail system by 2029 [21] Application of Smart Retail - Smart stores serve as the core carriers of smart retail, utilizing technologies like facial recognition and AI to enhance customer interaction and operational efficiency [25][27] - Instant retail, as a significant branch of smart retail, leverages technology and local supply to provide rapid delivery services, with a strong growth trend in lower-tier markets [28][32] Industry Application by Sector - The report highlights various sectors such as supermarkets and restaurants, emphasizing the need for data-driven consumer insights and the integration of online and offline channels to enhance customer engagement and operational efficiency [34][35]

Core Insights - The digital economy is becoming a new driving force for economic and social development, with smart retail expected to exceed 1 trillion RMB by 2025 due to various factors including policy support and technological innovation [1][5] - Heng Life, a smart retail service platform, recently held its 2025 National Agent Conference, marking a significant milestone in its development and providing insights into the future direction of the smart retail industry [1][8] Industry Overview - Smart retail has transitioned from a trend to reality, with advancements such as intelligent cabinets and facial recognition payment systems [2] - The Chinese government is actively promoting digital economy and new consumption models, with policies supporting the digital transformation of retail [2] Company Strategy - Heng Life has expanded its services to over 340 cities, offering around 500 different service scenarios and serving 2 billion people since its establishment in 2020 [2][3] - The company utilizes a "IoT + Internet + Smart Life" model, focusing on optimizing product and service experiences while exploring future interactive fields [5][6] Product and Market Development - Heng Life's product line includes smart retail terminals, entertainment devices, and electric vehicle charging stations, aligning with national strategies for new energy and green travel [3][5] - The company is actively developing innovative payment solutions and collaborating with popular IPs to cater to younger consumers [6] Ecosystem and Collaboration - Heng Life emphasizes building a strong, open, and collaborative ecosystem as a core business philosophy, investing over tens of millions annually in R&D to support its agents [7] - The company is fostering cross-industry collaborations to enhance operational efficiency and improve user experience [7][8]