China retail takes hit as virus scares shoppers and taxes logistics

Alibaba struggles to fill orders while Uniqlo and Starbucks close stores

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People are seen wearing protective masks in the financial district of Pudong in Shanghai.  © Reuters

NAOKI MATSUDA, Nikkei staff writer

SHANGHAI -- The coronavirus outbreak is hitting China's retail sector hard, with brick-and-mortar stores seeing a plunge in customer traffic and online vendors struggling to fill a flood of orders from consumers scared to venture outside.

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