NANJING - Carrefour China has significantly improved its profit-making ability after being acquired by Chinese e-commerce giant Suning.com, the supermarket chain said Tuesday.

Carrefour China has steadily built up its operating efficiency through the digital transformation of its stores. And in Q4 2019, it earned its first quarterly profit in the last seven years, said Tian Rui, Carrefour China CEO.

Tian disclosed the information for the first time since the acquisition took place in September 2019.

"In terms of digitalization, our existing 209 stores nationwide have completed smart retail transformation to meet the one-hour delivery service within 3 km of the surrounding area and the half-day service within 10 km of the same city," Tian said.

During the epidemic, Carrefour China has launched flash delivery services with Suning's convenience stores to meet residents' demands, with the average daily order increasing by 202 percent month on month, according to the company.

"In 2020, we will accelerate store upgrades, supply chain construction, and other ecological integration with Suning to recreate the glory of Carrefour in China," Tian said.