Bejing's digital newsstands offer much more than newspapers  

北京智能报刊亭：提供免费无线网 能缴水电费

A citizen touches the screen installed in the new digital newsstand. [Photo: the Beijing Youth Daily]

(ECNS) -- Five new digital newsstands were launched in Beijing on Wednesday, allowing citizens to pay electricity, water, telephone and gas bills, as well as remit and transfer money between accounts.

The newsstands offer free Wi-Fi internet service within a 50-meter radius, Xu Jun, owner of a newsstand in Chaoyang district, told the Beijing Youth Daily.

"I can also receive and hold parcels for citizens who live nearby when they're not home," Xu said.

Buyers will receive a code after they choose a newsstand when shopping at online malls like Taobao, Vancl and Dangdang. Just input the code and you can get your parcel, according to Xu.

Chen Yan, general manager of the China Post's Newspaper and Periodical Distribution Bureau, said new media has had a great impact on traditional media, making it even more difficult to keep a newsstand running by selling only newspapers.