Supermarket takes off: central China opens its first sky supermarket

Henan Daily

Zhengzhou: With the rapid growth of the low-altitude economy and the advancement of aircraft technology, supermarkets have now taken to the skies.

The country’s first sky supermarket in central China has opened inside the Henan Low-altitude Economy Industrial Park (HLEIP) in Guancheng Hui District, Zhengzhou city, Henan province.

0001.jpgSo what exactly is a sky supermarket? Smart shopping carts assist customers throughout their shopping, while drones handle delivery. On August 18, staff at the “Wan Wu Ke Lian Sky Mart” were packing the sorted items into drone delivery boxes, sending them to consumers via a drone logistics system.

At first glance, this 8,600-square-meter warehouse-type supermarket looks like any other. But the helipads and drone ground stations outside quickly reveal what sets it apart. “The Sky Mart allows customers to shop both online and in-store, and its standout feature is drone delivery-customers can place orders via mobile phone, have them delivered by drones, and enjoy door-to-door service,” said Wu Wenqing, the supermarket’s manager.

As a key part of the 400-mu HLEIP, Wan Wu Ke Lian Sky Mart is just one example of the Park’s efforts to explore the potential of the low-altitude economy. Currently under construction, the Park is equipped with infrastructure such as drone takeoff and landing zones, low-altitude flight transfer stations, and drone arenas. The Park aims to establish a complete industrial ecosystem covering drone research and development, manufacturing, sales, application services, and competitive training.

002.jpg”Sit at home, and your order arrives from the sky. Drones offer key advantages in low-altitude airspace, such as speed, precision, efficiency, and flexibility, addressing the challenges of traditional logistics like slow deliveries and high labor costs,” introduced Huang Yujuan, the operation manager of HLEIP. Currently, the Sky Mart has three approved drone routes, covering a 5-kilometer radius around the supermarket. By partnering with residential communities and local businesses, it delivers goods directly to consumers’ doorsteps. Plans are also underway to add 3 more long-distance routes to expand coverage.

The Sky Mart employs four licensed drone pilots, including Cheng Shuai, a millennial. According to Cheng, the logistics drones at the supermarket have a maximum payload capacity of 40 kilograms and a delivery speed of about 10 meters per second. Within the current delivery zone, customers usually receive their orders in under 15 minutes.

0003.jpg”Like a stone dropped into the deep waters of the low-altitude economy, the Sky Mart is an innovation in retail. Its core value lies in overcoming geographical and transportation barriers, reshaping the ‘people-goods-market’ relationship, and redefining the consumer experience,” said Song Xiangqing, president of Henan Commerce Economy Association (HCEA).

The sky knows no bounds. As drones increasingly enter daily life, the low-altitude economy is opening up a new world of applications and consumer experiences.