Walmart China has closed all three Smart Choice convenience stores in Shenzhen, Guangdong, according to local press reports. The retailer has denied that Smart Choice was a failure but although the new format had completed its pilot phase, Walmart is now focusing on other formats. The company maintains it is committed to small formats also under the Smart Choice banner in cities yet it is likely that these outlets will be larger than the three convenience stores that have shut. Walmart launched Smart Choice in 2009 and originally planned to have 1,000 stores in the next five years.