Carrefour, the world’s second-largest hypermarket operator, has confirmed plans to roll out a convenience store chain in China.

Stores will be branded Easy Carrefour.

A trial store is already trading in Shanghai’s Minhang district, opened without fanfare.

Convenience store penetration in China is weak by global standards. In Japan and Taiwan there is one c-store for every 2000 residents, but in China the ratio is one to 5000 and a growing number of c-store brands are evaluating the opportunity.

Analysts in China say Carrefour’s move is also aimed at diversifying Carrefour’s China business beyond the highly competitive hypermarket sector.

German hypermarket operator Metro, is also planning a convenience store network.

Wang Hongtao, director of communications at the China Chain Store & Franchise Association, told ECNS that traditional retailers including department stores and hypermarkets have been recording slower growth because of the impact of the slowing economy, the government’s anti-corruption policies and the emergence of e-commerce.

But, so far, the convenience stores sector appears to be unaffected by the broader retail malaise, growing by 19.5 per cent in 2013.