Double Five Shopping Festival Opens in Shanghai

The seventh Double Five Shopping Festival opened Thursday in Shanghai, offering new incentives for goods and services to residents and visitors.

As part of the 2026 "Shopping in China" International Consumption Season (Shanghai), the festival will run citywide promotions for two months starting Friday, covering seven key categories, including home appliances, furniture, and products for the elderly.

Shanghai ranks as the top destination in China for foreign users on the lifestyle-sharing platform Xiaohongshu. Popular spots such as the South Bund Fabric Market let visitors have tailor-made outfits crafted on site.

Travel-related posts about China by international Xiaohongshu users have grown fivefold year-on-year, while English-language travel guides on the platform have increased nearly sevenfold.

To encourage spending by international visitors, major shopping destinations, including Plaza 66, HKRI Taikoo Hui, Xintiandi, and Shanghai IFC Mall, are offering coupons, gift cards, and membership perks.

New shopping, exhibition, and leisure formats are also taking shape across the city. Retailers are using the May Day holiday to launch pop-up experiences, with West Bund along Xuhui District's Huangpu River waterfront emerging as a key hotspot.

Luxury brand YSL is running its Love Nude Hotel pop-up at the GATE M West Bund Dream Center for two weeks, featuring tailor-made make-up sessions and fragrance and beauty product tryouts that have drawn large crowds.

West Bund Central hosts the circular fashion exhibition "China Cool," staged jointly by Coach and Donghua University. The show spotlights sustainable clothing, art installations, and student projects exploring the circular economy in fashion design.

The well-established Shanghai Sixth Department Store reopened Wednesday as "Neo Young 6" following more than two years of redevelopment, positioning itself as a trendy hub for young shoppers. Discounts are available from May 1 to May 10 on in-store purchases and food takeaway across Xuhui District.

Across Shanghai, districts are rolling out a range of consumption vouchers and promotions.

In Pudong, shoppers can claim tiered discounts – 90 yuan (US$13.2) off 300, 150 off 500, 300 off 1,000, and 450 off 1,500 – at more than 1,400 retailers, including clothing, cosmetics, luggage, watches, eyewear, jewelry vendors and supermarkets.

In Yangpu, over 500 businesses are offering four types of discounts through Alipay Tap!. From 11am April 30 to midnight May 5, shoppers simply tap their mobile app at participating cashiers to automatically receive discounts. The campaign is also tied to local sporting events and music festivals.