Sixteen energy saving measures, which are mainly related to lighting, air-conditioner use and heat recycling, will be used in this store. At the same time, some advanced facilities have also been introduced by Carrefour from Malaysia. Compared with an ordinary store, the Guanggu store will be able to save 20% of its energy costs with the help of those facilities.

It is estimated that in a Carrefour store with 8,500 square meters of supermarket space and 4,000 square meters of shopping center area, 1,200,000 kilowatts of electrical energy and 50,000 cubic meters of water can be saved.

Carrefour says although it costs more than RMB2 million to open an energy saving store, the expenses for maintaining that store will be decreased over time and the rate of return is also good. In 2008, the company will begin transferring all of its stores in China into energy saving stores.

The stores of the 22 large chain medical companies, including Hubei Longtai Drugstore, Hubei Jinyaotang Drugstore, Wuhan Jianghan Drugstore, Wuhan Hansen Drugstore, cover Wuhan and nine other cities in Hubei Province, have more than 40% of the market in Wuhan.

According to a representative from Hubei Longtai Drugstore, most of the retail drugstores in Wuhan rely on the supply of medical distribution channels. Medicines are distributed through a lengthy supply chain of national general distributors, provincial general distributors, regional general distributors, and regional distributors before reaching the retail stores, which increase the costs of the products.

After the establishment of the alliance, the medicine purchases for more 2,000 chain drugstores belonging to 22 companies will be made by a professional agency. With this new platform, the retail prices of medicines sold in these stores are expected to be reduced by 3% to 5% as a result of simplifying the distribution process.

In addition, the alliance will be further expanded in the future and the number of member retail medical companies will ultimately reach over 30 with their stores covering 17 cities across the province.