Today in membership: Futuristic supermarkets and rural e-commerce hubs

Hi Quartz members! Today we have two fascinating looks at the world Alibaba is creating. The first is a visit to one of the company’s Tomorrowland-style Hema supermarkets (Facial recognition checkout! Electronic price tags! Bags flying overhead on ceiling-mounted conveyor belts!). Next up is a deep analysis of the ways Alibaba’s Taobao e-commerce platform is transforming the rural communities that are now manufacturing hubs for countless items sold online.

Theres’s still more to come, including:

• Last year’s Singles Day, in photos
• Everything Alibaba owns, on one page
• A close look at the company’s top executives
• And much more

Let’s keep learning. Send questions, comments, or just-caught seafood to [email protected].

Have a rewarding day,

Sam Grobart