Xuxian Fruit. Photo provided to China Daily

When Chen Yan, a student from Minzu University of China, stepped into a fruit shop near her school, she was told that the fruit was not for sale.

"It's a shop for picking up fruit," said Xiao Chen, proprietor of the fruit shop - Xuxian Fruit. "You order the fruit online a day ahead, pay for it online, and then you can pick it up the next day," she told Chen Yan.

Just before Chen Yan figured out how the shop works, another buyer walked in, and was told the same thing by Xiao Chen. "This is how we avoid surplus stock and guarantee fresh fruits at competitive prices," she said.

So, how does this all work? Xiao Chen said the key is to know what the customers need in advance.

Unlike traditional fruit stores that have piles of fruit in stock waiting for customers to buy, Xuxian Fruit has their customers order fruit on their website xuxian.com, and then go to the store to pick up their order the next day.

"We purchase fruit according to orders, so there won't be fruit available for on the spot sale," Xiao Chen said. The shop holds each order for 48 hours and if it’s not picked up by that time, the order is cancelled. There is no refund.

"Thus we cut down on stock costs, and that brings down the price of the fruit," she said.