XI'AN, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's convenience-store enterprises are undergoing a digital transformation to improve management efficiency and optimize service quality, according to data released by the China Chain Store and Franchise Association (CCFA).

At a conference last week in Xi'an, capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, the CCFA said that 87 percent of branded convenience-store companies are carrying out digital upgrading by accelerating their layout in the fields of intelligent logistics, intelligent monitoring, and unmanned stores.

"Driven by internet technologies, China's convenience stores have entered a revolutionary era of digitalization," said Yu Jianbo, chief operating officer of Chinese retail chain Wumart Stores, who attended the conference.

In July, the Ministry of Commerce released a notice to promote the digital transformation of convenience stores, encouraging them to apply modern information technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data and cloud computing, to promote mobile payments and improve the intelligent management level of stores.

The scale of China's convenience-store industry maintained rapid growth in 2019, with the number of stores reaching 132,000 and the annual sales volume rising to 255.6 billion yuan (nearly 37 billion U.S. dollars), according to CCFA.

By 2022, the total number of branded chain convenience stores is expected to reach 300,000 nationwide, said the notice.