Chinese retailer Rainbow opens its first Hanshow powered Store Digital Twin supermarket in Shenzhen
Rainbow, a Chinese omnichannel retailer, 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 its first Store Digital Twin implementation, bringing together real-time store visibility, decision support and operational execution within a live retail environment.
Located in Shenzhen's Nanshan District, the Shahe sp@ce location 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 move reflects Rainbow's broader ambition to expand the role of physical retail beyond transactions and create a more engaging destination for the surrounding community.
The newly opened sp@ce supermarket, built around Rainbow's "City • Garden • Food Hall" concept, features nine experiential areas designed around different food, lifestyle and community occasions. The store also incorporates Rainbow's intelligent fulfilment centre, supporting more efficient home delivery services and aiming to strengthen the connection between in-store shopping and its broader omnichannel retail model.
As its 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.
Hanshow NexConnect Smart Cart, integrated with Lingzhi's proprietary AI shopping assistant, serves as a digital companion throughout the shopping journey, providing shoppers with access to product information, in-store navigation, promotional offers, and available checkout services.
At the shelf edge, Hanshow Nebular Ultra Electronic Shelf Labels support centimetre 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. Shoppers can access product details, traceability information, usage guidance and promotional content.
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. Leveraging its proprietary Bailingniao retail AI model, Lingzhi Digital Technology contributes digital capabilities that support sales forecasting, replenishment strategies, task management and decision support.
"Our goal with sp@ce 3.0 is to create a better everyday shopping experience built on quality, freshness, transparency and trust," says Xiao Zhanglin, Chairman at Rainbow Digital Commercial. "As our 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," says Relvin Sun, Dean at 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."
So hot right now
Hanshow bagged the number two spot in RTIH’s first ever Retail Technology Hot 100 List. Launching in August, this sees us bringing you the hottest companies whose solutions and systems are helping drive the retail sector forward.
Our Founder and Editor, Scott Thompson, drew up a list of 150 companies that had consistently been on his radar over the past 12 months whilst bringing our community the latest retail tech news and views that matter. These companies operate across the omnichannel retail landscape (stores, online, mobile, supply chain, payments etc).
Our judging panel, including Vineta Bajaj, Group CFO, Holland & Barrett, Dan McGrath, JD Group Customer Operations, JD Sports, Dr. Astha Purohit, Director of Product Management, Customer Data and Identity, Walmart, and Paula Bobbett, Chief Data and Digital Officer, Boots, provided feedback on those who have the most innovative, forward thinking technology offerings and are also best addressing retailers' current challenges, painpoints, and opportunities.
The judges used the following framework when making their picks:
1. Retailer problem fit - how meaningful, strategic, and widely felt the retailer pain being addressed is.
2. Production traction in retail (2025–2026) - real named retailer deployments, pilots.
3. Innovation and defensibility - genuine technical novelty paired with a defensible competitive position.
And there was also a public vote, with thousands of members of our community of retail tech enthusiasts getting involved. Thanks to all those who took part! Based on the judging panel's feedback and the public vote, we then drew up our first ever RTIH Retail Technology Hot 100.
So, without further ado, here are the 100 hottest global retail technology ventures right now. Drum roll, please…
