Alibaba to give small stores tech boost

Millions of unchained mom-and-pop shops will be included into LST system

E-commerce titan Alibaba Group Holding Ltd aims to deepen its omni-channel deployment by transforming millions of mom-and-pop stores in China via a data-backed retailer management system.

By encouraging merchants to link into the LST app, the online shopping emporium hopes to unlock the consumption potential of shoppers from second-tier cities to even lower-tier townships and villages by enhancing the merchants' capabilities in marketing, delivery and inventory management.