The Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center, described as Yiwu's sixth-generation marketplace, officially opened on Oct. 14, attracting buyers worldwide to the city in east China's Zhejiang Province known as the "world's supermarket."

In the jewelry section of the center, a shop called "Tang Tang Tang" has become a popular stop for visitors. At the center of the store, a computer draws lines of customers eager to try out an artificial intelligence-powered bracelet design platform.

In 2023, shop owner Huang Zixuan and his partners launched an AI design platform. "With AI-generated renderings, clients can confirm designs without producing physical samples. This cuts production time by more than half and reduces material waste by about 30 percent," Huang said.

Huang Zixuan showcases AI-generated bracelet pictures. (People's Daily Online/Wang Liwei)

Huang added that the platform's smart supply chain service will launch in mid-October. Once a designer completes a product design, the system can automatically match it with the most suitable manufacturer and generate a price quote, streamlining production and improving resource allocation.

Photo shows the digital trade service center at the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Fang Pengyimeng)

At the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center, more than 3,700 merchants are not only using AI tools themselves but also developing and selling their own AI-powered products.

Chinese internet giant Tencent, which has established a presence in the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center, has partnered with Yiwu China Small Commodities City Big Data Co., Ltd. to develop an AI-powered navigation and shopping guide app. The system provides precise booth navigation, product searches, booth information and image-based product recognition, making shopping faster and more convenient.

A shop owner displays a self-developed foldable clothes hanger. (People's Daily Online/Wang Liwei)

At present, the first three floors of the new market feature more than 3,000 booths covering five major categories, 12 industries and 34 sub-sectors, with shops shifting toward more refined and brand-focused operations.

Umbrellas are displayed at Zhang Jiying's new shop at the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Fang Pengyimeng)

"The new shop is brighter, more stylish and positioned at a higher end than my old shop," said Zhang Jiying, who has been operating an umbrella business in Yiwu for more than 20 years. Zhang's new shop, spanning over 60 square meters, provides customers with ample space to browse and open umbrellas for a closer look.

For Lou Yiyang, director at JMJR Jewelry, the opening of the new center represented a fresh start.

"My parents have been running a jewelry business in Yiwu for more than 20 years, so I practically grew up in the market," she said. "When I learned a new market was opening, I decided it was time to take over the family business."

Lou Yiyang works at JMJR Jewelry's new shop at the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Fang Pengyimeng)

"We've carefully curated our displays to highlight the best of Yiwu's products," she said. "We plan to integrate online and offline channels, using short videos and livestreams to reach more consumers."

A second-generation entrepreneur named Wu Feiyang showcases bestsellers at his store at the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Fang Pengyimeng)

According to Zhu Xingping, deputy general manager of the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center, second-generation entrepreneurs like Lou have become the driving force behind the center's transformation. They bring fresh perspectives, global thinking and digital expertise, creating new opportunities in the era of digital trade and injecting new energy into the "world's supermarket."