Department store operator Jusco, which stands for Japan United Stores Company, plans to accelerate its expansion in the Chinese market with a new business model in Guangzhou.

Jusco said it will open a small-sized supermarket called Maxvalu in Guangzhou later this month.

Jusco, a subsidiary of Japanese retail giant Aeon Co Ltd, entered China in 1996 and currently has 100 stores in the country.

Last month, convenience store operator 7-Eleven reportedly closed about 20 outlets in Guangzhou, while Family Mart was also reported to have shut around 20 outlets in the city.