Aldi opened its first two Chinese locations in June after selling to the country's consumers through Alibaba's Tmall Global e-commerce platform since 2017, while US-based Costco Wholesale — which has had a Tmall presence since 2014 — is set to open its first brick-and-mortar store in China at the end of August. Aldi and Costco will face competition from homegrown chains including Alibaba's Hema stores, which offer a hybrid of online and offline shopping. Foreign hypermarkets and supermarkets in China saw profit margins reach an average of 23.2 percent in 2018, higher than the sector's average, but analysts note the fortunes of foreign retailers in China depend on their ability to adapt to local consumer preferences. (Nikkei Asian Review)