Suning.com opened its inaugural Suning Retail Cloud furniture and household goods shopfront in Jintan District, Changzhou, a prosperous city in eastern China'sJiangsu province. As an important business sector that aims to help micro and small business merchants thrive in lower-tier cities and county-level markets in China, Suning Retail Cloud was officially launched in July 2017. With the franchise model, Suning Retail Cloud leverages Suning.com's retail capabilities and deep industry know-how especially in logistics, warehouse, supply chain and technology innovations to franchisees and help micro and small merchants in county-level markets to easily start a business. The move marks Suning's first step into the furniture and household goods market and supports micro and small business owners to thrive in lower-tier cities and county-level markets in China. Suning's first Retail Cloud store in the furniture and household goods category is owned by Chen Yun, an entrepreneur who chose to return to his hometown to start a business. In 2010, Chen first became associated with Suning during his move to Suzhou, a prosperous city in eastern China'sJiangsu province and quickly signed on as a Suning partner. From kitchen appliances to furniture and other home and bathroom products, a market centered around the home is rapidly taking shape. Suning Retail Cloud empowers top furniture brands to tap into customers from counties and lower-tier cities who are looking for upgrades, while empowering micro and small business owners like Chen to thrive. Chen Yun's business story also reflects Suning Retail Cloud's business model: The space has expanded from small-town markets to larger county-level markets; services – online and offline – have become more extensive with more depth; home appliances are at the core with the home furnishing category expanding. The boundaries of retail have been broken down and the value of the platform is being maximized.