The lack of a supermarket can make life difficult for people in rural areas.

However, Jiading Huimin Supermarket Co has opened 193 outlets in the district so far, with the aim of improving convenience for rural folk and safeguarding food and product quality.

Huimin Supermarket outlets replenish their stock little by little to avoid overstocking as consumption in rural areas is not as great as in the city.

Some outlets in remote areas find that suppliers are reluctant to deliver products in small amounts. So the company has adopted flexible delivery methods, including receiving delivery by some suppliers themselves into the company’s delivery system, making delivery to each outlet at least once a week.

"For women's products with a total value of merely 50 yuan ($8.30), Huimin Supermarket can deliver by car," said Yang Qinfang, shop manager in Xiangyang village of Anting town.

Impressed with delivery service

"The products were ordered by an enterprise in the village, but there was not enough stock in my shop this summer, so I called the supermarket's logistics department, and they sent the goods to my shop that afternoon. It really impressed me as the value of the product might be less than the fuel cost for the delivery."

Supervision is critical for the reputation of the supermarket chain. Huimin Supermarket has a supervision team with two cars and two cameras, visiting 193 outlets in the district at least once a month to ensure the traceability of the products purchased by shop owners.

When Gu Meihua moved into a community in Jiading New City, there was no bus service. She had to use a cart to fetch necessities from the nearest wet market.

Since Longhu Fresh Food Shop of Huimin Supermarket opened near her home, Gu no longer needs her cart.

"A lot of vegetables here come directly from vegetable bases of Huating and Jiangqiao. They pick them up in the field in the morning and send them here in the afternoon, so fresh," Gu said.

Currently Huimin has four fresh food shops in Jiading with plans to open three more in Nanxiang town, Juyuan New Area and Jiading New Town.