Chinese retailer a viral sensation in Argentina

A Chinese shopkeeper in Argentina has become a viral sensation on social networks due to her charisma in announcing store promotions.

The 32-year-old Chen Jianfeng, who goes by the Spanish name Teresa, has nearly 30,000 followers on Instagram, where she playfully announces the day's offers at the supermarket she co-owns in the capital Buenos Aires.

"I began to make videos of the offers to show that every day we have something different. Then I began to make videos with dances and jokes, and lots of people liked them," Teresa told Xinhua at the supermarket in the city's northwest Carapachay district.

Her fame has been good for business, with the supermarket selling much more than it did six months ago, she said.

"Lots of new clients have come in and raised sales by 15 percent," Teresa said, thanking both her clients and followers.

Her renown has grown so much that she has even been invited onto national television programs like "Danger: Uncoded," a comedy show where she professed her admiration for Argentinian football star Lionel Messi.

Teresa left the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian in 2002, at the age of 16, to join her parents who had already moved to Argentina.

Upon arrival she adopted the name Susana after her favorite Argentinian television presenter, Susana Gimenez, before having a change of mind and opting for Teresa instead.

However, those who visit her supermarket know the friendly entrepreneur simply as Tere.

After working in various supermarkets in Buenos Aires, Teresa and a friend decided to open their own, called The Oasis.

With a growing fan base, Tere represents the kind of work ethic Argentina's 120,000 Chinese immigrants bring to the country where they now live.