Rainbow Opens Its First Store Digital Twin-Enabled Supermarket in Shenzhen

SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rainbow, one of China's leading omnichannel retailers, has opened its upgraded Shahe sp@ce supermarket in Shenzhen. Developed in collaboration with Hanshow and Rainbow's technology subsidiary Lingzhi Digital Technology, the project marks Rainbow's first Store Digital Twin implementation, bringing together real-time store visibility, decision support and operational execution within a live retail environment.

Operating a nationwide network of shopping centers, community retail centers and supermarkets, Rainbow has been exploring new ways to improve operational efficiency and customer experience. As Rainbow's first Store Digital Twin-enabled project, the Shahe store brings data from connected IoT touchpoints into a unified digital representation, linking real-time sensing with analysis, decision-making and execution.

Reimagining a Longstanding Community Retail Destination

Located in Shenzhen's Nanshan District, the Shahe sp@ce supermarket has served the local community for nearly 17 years. In 2026, the wider Shahe Rainbow development was upgraded into an urban lifestyle destination that brings together retail, dining, services and entertainment. The transformation reflects Rainbow's broader ambition to expand the role of physical retail beyond transactions and create a more engaging destination for the surrounding community.

At the heart of the project is the newly opened sp@ce supermarket, built around Rainbow's "City • Garden • Food Hall" concept, the supermarket features nine experiential areas designed around different food, lifestyle and community occasions. The store also incorporates Rainbow's intelligent fulfilment center, supporting more efficient home-delivery services and strengthening the connection between in-store shopping and Rainbow's broader omnichannel retail model.

As Rainbow's first Store Digital Twin-enabled supermarket, the store brings together more than 17,000 IoT devices and AI capabilities to provide greater visibility into store conditions and support more timely operational decisions and actions.

Creating a More Connected Shopping Experience

At the Shahe sp@ce supermarket, digital technology is integrated throughout the shopping journey instead of being presented as a separate technology showcase.

Hanshow NexConnect Smart Cart, integrated with Lingzhi's proprietary AI shopping assistant, serves as a digital companion throughout the shopping journey, providing shoppers with easy access to product information, in-store navigation, promotional offers, and available checkout services. By giving shoppers greater visibility over their purchases and streamlining key shopping activities, it helps create a more convenient and efficient shopping experience.

At the shelf edge, Hanshow Nebular Ultra Electronic Shelf Labels support centimeter-level product positioning, serving as a key component of the Store Digital Twin infrastructure. The tap-to-interact functionality extends the ESL from a price display medium into an interactive service touchpoint. With a simple tap, shoppers can access product details, traceability information, usage guidance and promotional content.

Together, these customer-facing touchpoints help connect products, content and services at the right moment and location, bringing digital capabilities into real shopping scenarios and creating a more intuitive shopper engagement throughout the customer journey.

Turning Store Visibility into Operational Action

Beyond customer-facing applications, the Store Digital Twin is designed to support day-to-day store operations.

In shelf management scenarios, Hanshow combines Electronic Shelf Labels, Location Intelligence, AI Vision and robotics technologies to support out-of-shelf identification, merchandising management and shelf execution. These capabilities help retailers gain greater visibility into shelf conditions and product availability while improving execution across the sales floor.

Leveraging its proprietary Bailingniao retail AI model, Lingzhi Digital Technology contributes digital capabilities that support sales forecasting, replenishment strategies, task management and decision support, helping store teams make more informed decisions and respond more effectively to day-to-day operational needs.

By connecting store visibility with timely action, the project moves store digitalization beyond simply recording what has happened. When store conditions can be identified and addressed more quickly, shoppers benefit from more timely product availability and a smoother shopping experience. Store associates can also focus more of their attention on tasks that require judgement, communication, and customer service.

Advancing Store Digital Twin Innovation in Live Retail Environments

As retailers worldwide seek to improve efficiency while managing complex store environments, the ability to translate operational visibility into timely action is becoming increasingly important. The Shahe project demonstrates how Store Digital Twin capabilities can be deployed in a live retail environment to connect sensing, analysis, decision-making, execution and continuous optimization within a unified operating model.

"Our goal with sp@ce 3.0 is to create a better everyday shopping experience built on quality, freshness, transparency and trust," said Xiao Zhanglin, Chairman of Rainbow Digital Commercial. "As Rainbow's first Store Digital Twin-enabled store, the Shahe sp@ce supermarket brings digital visibility into day-to-day operations, helping our teams respond faster and more accurately, while allowing store employees to spend more time on the service and experiences that matter to customers."

"The true value of technology lies in helping retailers operate more effectively and creating a more natural experience for shoppers," said Relvin Sun, Dean of Hanshow Retail Research Institute. "Through our collaboration with Rainbow and Lingzhi Digital Technology, we are bringing together intelligent store infrastructure, retail AI and operational expertise to support daily store operations and customer experience, while continuing to strengthen Hanshow's Store Digital Twin capabilities through real-world retail applications."

For Hanshow, the project represents an important milestone in the development of its Store Digital Twin ecosystem. Working alongside Rainbow and Lingzhi Digital Technology, Hanshow will continue exploring how digital store technologies can support practical retail applications, helping retailers improve operational agility and customer experience.

SOURCE Hanshow