Immediate, friction-free, omnichannel and experiential engagement has become the minimum expectation for shoppers in China. Chinese consumers are amongst the most sophisticated in the world in their use of digital and mobile to purchase goods and services. And the market offers a snapshot of what is to come. The rest of the world may not be there quite yet, but the retail brands operating in China are the pacesetters in 'new retail' and fulfilment methods. One notable trend is an extreme version of on-demand omnichannel (and the associated integration of online and offline inventory). With names like 'proximity retail’, these services went from a nice-to-have convenience to a necessity during the COVID-19 lockdowns in China. The sense of crisis may be fading as the global race to vaccinate gathers pace, but it has not really gone away with fresh variants of the virus emerging. Changes in retail marketing will continue to accelerate, and Chinese consumer expectations will be ever greater. Understanding incrementality will be key for brands and retailers, particularly when working out what works online versus offline.