Suning powers up profit-building plan

A more open online platform through collaboration with third-party suppliers will improve Suning's online value and resources, he said.

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Zhang mentioned the possibility of utilizing the country's widely used instant messaging tool WeChat, a service provided by Tencent Holdings Ltd.

The company also aims to build a logistics center with warehouse areas reaching 2.07 million square meters by the end of this year, in hopes of delivering items within half a day in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and second-day delivery in 12 other first-tier cities.

Cavender said the key to Suning's performance this year will be its ability to execute those plans. "They could do very well, but they could also do poorly, and then it will be very difficult to take back market share."

Jason Yu, general manager at Kantar Worldpanel China, said it is worth discussing whether Suning really needs so many physical stores or such large stores when it is trying to become an e-commerce company.

The company's strategy could vary by region, Yu said. For example, it could institute more online innovation for top-tier cities and stay focused on traditional stores in third-and fourth-tier cities, Yu said.

Last year, Suning opened more stores in second-and third-tier markets with 97 new stores. By the end of 2013, it had 1,585 stores on the Chinese mainland, 29 stores in Hong Kong and 12 in Japan.