Just over two years ago, Wuhan's first high-end supermarket opened with little fanfare. Zhongbai Warehouse Supermarket, a local retail operator, decided its new Life in Theatre outlet would bring in the right kind of discerning shopper. So it opened next to the New World Department Store on salubrious Jiefang Road.

Not long afterwards, a second store was opened in Tongluowan, Hanyang. It was a signal for several other retailers to follow suit with similar stores.

Life in Theatre has a coffee house feel about it, right down to the aroma that greets visitors at the door. In fact, it's more like a club, with its tawny-coloured shelves, soft lighting and dark wood flooring. It features Ming and Qing dynasty porcelainware in its passageways.

Though with less than 1,000 sqm in area, Life in Theatre has an in-house coffee retailer, Runway Caf¨¦ (a sort of coffee shop within a coffee house). Here, customers can taste freshly baked bread, order a plate of shredded pork and green pepper with rice or a cup of coffee and, more to the point, spend a leisurely afternoon chatting with friends.

The store mainly deals in imported and high-end specialty foods and other items. Australian T-bone steaks, smoked mackerel, limited edition Maotai wine and all kinds of imported cheeses abound.

Zhenziwei condiments, Metier Atelier kitchenware and iced mooncakes from Hong Kong are also to be found. There are French red wines carrying prices from Rmb68,000 a bottle in the store's temperature-controlled cellar.

At the checkout points, cashiers place the change from purchases into little yellow envelopes and politely hand it to the customer, instead of passing money direct.

The whole atmosphere is personal and reeks of refinement. The store's General Manager Xu Shali, says his policy is to pay attention to detail and, as in a fine hotel, offer five-star treatment.Life in Theatre is actually selling not just high-end merchandise, but lifestyle.

From parent Zhongbai Warehouse Supermarket, General Manager Cheng Jun said serving customers is "at the tip of the pyramid" where it comes to Life in Theatre's operation.

In retrospect, it's a smart move. There are at least 350,000 people in Wuhan with an annual income of over Rmb100,000. They include expatriates, those returning after studying abroad, as well as white-collar and "gold-collar" workers who prefer a more discerning style of service.

The famous "iced mooncakes" from Hong Kong set record sales of Rmb230,000 for a single merchandise during the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2008, reflecting the way local consumers are keen to try new or different shopping experiences and are prepared to pay for them.

Life in Theatre's coffee shop organises a culinary salon on a regular basis, choosing foreign chefs to hold master classes on preparing food. It looks like being a storming success.