Click the image for details She was once the most ordinary little old lady in the alleys of old Jinan, running a 30-square-meter grocery store selling odds and ends, ice cream, and popsicles. Now, at over fifty, Aunt Li has no time for square dancing or traveling! Near Shandong Normal University, she owns a striking Xunmao Smart Convenience Store, clean and tidy, with a dazzling array of goods that keeps customers lingering. Aunt Li has never been abroad or taken marketing courses. From a grocery store lady struggling to survive to the owner of a smart convenience store, she has her own "business philosophy": "I think that's how you do a good job. I'm open all year round, even on New Year's Eve, but I feel very happy." "I haven't read much, haven't been abroad. Turning my grocery store into such a convenience store is entirely due to my decades of experience in running a grocery store and my analysis of customers' buying habits." If you step into her Xunmao Smart Convenience Store for the first time, you'll be dazzled by the wide variety of goods. You wouldn't believe the owner is an old lady with little education. The store is clearly divided into sections: produce, deli, toiletries, snacks, daily necessities... All goods are categorized and neatly arranged. The area by the window with the best lighting has been turned by Aunt Li into a simple, cozy rest area: light green hand-painted walls, a full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, white bar stools, wooden tables and chairs, a magazine rack, an LCD TV... A small corner that invites travelers to stop, rest, and wait for the next beautiful journey. The store's constant flow of customers is interesting: an elderly person holding a grandchild's hand buying yogurt; a housewife with a bag replenishing oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar; a passing traveler with a suitcase buying a bottle of water and sitting on a bar stool, gazing thoughtfully at the traffic outside; a fashionable young woman browsing the toiletries section for something to enhance her look; a basketball boy drenched in sweat rushing in to grab a bottle of water and chug it down; foreign friends with blonde hair and blue eyes or shining like black pearls, enthusiastically communicating with the staff in oddly accented Chinese... A small store, a microcosm of the world. Aunt Li says she enjoys just watching her customers. When she talks about how she transformed her grocery store into a smart convenience store, Aunt Li becomes animated and talkative. Her old shop was a typical grocery store in Jinan's alleys, occupying a small corner of 30 square meters, where customers could find toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, as well as cigarettes, chips, and drinks. The store relied on nearby community residents. But as large supermarkets like Inzone, RT-Mart, and Carrefour opened nearby, business became unsustainable. Aunt Li was worried; continuing like this, even making ends meet was a problem. "I must transform!" A year ago, a sincere-looking young man walked into her store, chatted with her, helped her move things, advised on adjusting the product mix, and taught her to use an app for stocking... From initial rejection to acceptance, and then looking forward to his visits, Aunt Li says Xiao He, a market representative from Xunmao, is her little lucky star. From a small grocery store of a dozen square meters, with customers limited to residents within a hundred meters, to a convenience store of over a hundred square meters, from selling only odds and ends and daily necessities to hundreds of categories, Aunt Li says she struggled and hesitated, but ultimately came through. Aunt Li insists on trying every product before it goes on the shelves. She says she treats customers like family, and with so many old neighbors supporting her, she must have a clear conscience. So in her store, you won't see expired products or buy stale ingredients. "Guarding the first safety checkpoint for customers" is what Aunt Li always demands of her staff. "I don't think about whether I'll succeed, and I don't dwell on it. If it seems feasible, I just do it." Aunt Li is decisive, so at over fifty, she learned to use the 'Xunmao Jicai' app on her phone to manage the store, restock, and replenish; she resolutely partnered with Yunmei Co., Ltd. to join Xunmao Smart Convenience Store, becoming one of the future million Xunmao members. "I don't complain to family or friends about not having rest. I think that's how you do a good job. On the contrary, I feel very happy." "Can I represent another image of Jinan aunties?" Aunt Li is optimistic and positive. She says that in her interactions with Xunmao staff, she saw more: the elderly don't have to stay at home, bask in the sun, or watch grandchildren. She still has dreams to pursue and a career to accomplish! Influenced by Aunt Li, many of her peers are starting to think about a different life. In today's entrepreneurial wave, Aunt Li, who successfully transformed her 'grocery store,' is a pioneer. For today's young entrepreneurs, she believes passion alone is far from enough; you need ideas, persistence, and dedication. "It's easy to open a store but hard to keep it. Knowing where the market is and working hard is not easy. If you have an idea, try it decisively. Of course, finding good partners can double your results with half the effort, like Xunmao for me." Aunt Li smiled with a hint of pride. Speaking of future plans, Aunt Li has new ideas. She wants to choose a few more locations in Jinan to open more Xunmao Smart Convenience Stores. "Do you think I can represent the new image of elderly entrepreneurs in Jinan?" After saying this, Aunt Li laughed herself. -END-