The world's second-largest retailer,Carrefour Group, will close its only store in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on July 28, the first closure of a Carrefour store following 15 years of continuous expansion in China since 1995.

Carrefour China spokesman Chen Bo said the move was a strategic readjustment to the company's presence in China, and China remains its priority market.

But many local residents point to the poor performance of the store in Xi'an, the provincial capital.

"The Carrefour store in Xi'an does not offer many choices, especially when it comes to fresh food," said Dong Hua, a local resident.

Other people said there were also problems with its location, management and quality of service.

But the company spokesman said that Carrefour would keep expanding

in China, opening 20 to 25 new stores each year.

Carrefour first came to China in 1995 and has since opened over 150 stores in more than 40 cities.