Supermarket operator Lianhua plans to spend Yn600m (£60.66m) on opening 500 stores this year. They will include 15 shopping centres, 200 convenience stores and 285 supermarkets, mainly in the Yangtze River delta region. The retailer is looking to compete with the aggressive expansion of foreign players like Walmart and Carrefour.

After merging with Beijing Hualian Hypermarket Co last year, Lianhua’s annual sales rose to Yn67.1bn (£6.8bn).