EVEN shops with clerks and surveillance cameras become victims of theft from time to time, but this hasn’t been the case for a store in Shekou that has a self-serve payment system and hasn’t lost anything since its opening, the Shenzhen Evening News reported.

Located in the lobby of a building on Gongye No.6 Road and surrounded by office buildings, the unmanned convenience store serves as a gateway into the building.

Consumers can choose to either pay by cash and find their change in a box, or by scanning the QR code attached to the shelf.

Although the store only offers customers certain kinds of commodities, the prices are almost the same as those in supermarkets, and some are even lower, according to the customers.

Zhou Xunxun, the owner of the store, opened it as a startup business this March.

“I was a little unsure at the beginning, but I still wanted to go for it, and the outcome has been quite unexpected,” said Zhou, who used to work in a restaurant next door where he came up with the idea for the convenience store.

“The level of civility in Shenzhen is pretty high. Plus, people around here are either entrepreneurs or office employees, so I have confidence in them,” said Zhou. “I trust the customers, which creates a mutual trust among us that brings us closer to each other. I even receive advice from many people.”

People contribute their advice, such as increasing the variety of goods, on a suggestion board.

For Zhou, it is not only costs that he has to worry about, but also the sustainability of the self-serve model. However, all of his worries disappear as time goes by, and his belief is supported every day when he restocks the shelves and counts the money and finds that nothing has been lost.

Zhou is not alone in his belief. According to a woman surnamed Luo, who works at a neighboring restaurant, she seldom sees anyone take things without paying, as most people pay of their own will.

“I came here to see the store, and I think this is a good way to test trust among people,” said Medina, a Mexican student who lives nearby and bought a bottle of water there using WeChat Pay.

When asked if he was worried about losing some goods or change, Zhou answered, “In fact, I’m looking on the bright side. If someone happens to forget to bring money or can’t find enough change, it’s okay if they pay the next time. There’s no need to worry.”

Zhou also said that he was asked to open stores in some schools so that students could have the experience of mutual trust. “Actually, I enjoy the feeling of being trusted, and I especially want others to feel the same.”

(Lei Kaibin)