Shanghai ranked first among Chinese mainland cities in the number of newly opened first stores by domestic and international brands last year and in the first four months of this year, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce said. Altogether 1,073 first stores of various categories opened in Shanghai in 2022, showcasing the municipality’s innovation power and vitality in building itself into an international consumption center, said the Commission.
Another 375 first stores were opened from January to April this year, keeping the city at the forefront in terms of scale and quality. Four were globally or Asia’s first, and 52 were the first nationally. Nearly one in six were deemed as high-level first stores. As this year’s launch season of global new products in Shanghai kicked off, more than 150 additional first and flagship stores will be opened in the city in the coming month. Among them, California-based medical cosmetic producer Obagi will operate its world’s first experience store, Estee Lauder’s hand-made perfume brand Le Labo will have its first shop located in Shanghai’s downtown Xintiandi commercial area, and Lego group will unveil its first digital retail store. During the launch season organized by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and the Jing’an district government, diversified activities themed “first launch” will be held with a focus on innovative and creative consumption.
“More than 50 new products will be available at the shop over the upcoming two months,” He Yuyun, Chief Store Manager of Japan’s clothing brand Uniqlo’s global flagship store on Shanghai’s Nanjing Road (West), told Shanghai Television Station. “We hope that events such as the launch season will further stimulate and promote consumer purchasing desire,” she said.
To provide convenience for more consumers to explore the first stores, Data Quest China and Tencent Map jointly debuted the country’s “first store map”. It summarizes more than 700 representative first stores of various brands over the past four years, presenting such shops digitally. Between 2018 and 2022, Shanghai introduced a total of 4,881 first stores of various domestic and foreign brands. Among them, 77 were the world’s or Asia’s first and 925 were nationally first, ranking Shanghai No 1 in both quantity and quality in terms of first stores in the country, the China Daily reports.
