Chinese supermarket chain CR Vanguard plans to accelerate its expansion in East China this year.

CR Vanguard currently has 351 stores in East China. This year, it plans to open another hypermarket in Hangzhou as well as 62 VanGO convenience stores.

It will also open eight additional hypermarkets and 50 convenience stores in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Jiangxi.

CR Vanguard is owned by China Resources Enterprises which has agreed to combine its China stores with Tesco’s through a joint venture.

China Resources Enterprises and Tesco believe that by combining their skills and scale, they can achieve faster growth and enhanced profitability.