[First in SH] Square Enix, Lemon Right Snack Store, AgiBot and Moomin Line Art Bring New Concepts to City

First in Shanghai is our column series documenting the rise of Shanghai's "debut economy," a model built on being first, fast, and everywhere at once. What started as a policy initiative has morphed into a citywide phenomenon: part economic strategy, part cultural spectacle. In this series, we'll explore how brands – both local and global – are choosing Shanghai not just to launch products, but to create moments. It's retail as ritual, commerce as event, and we're here to unpack what it all means.

Shanghai's retail scene continues to evolve with a new round of openings that span entertainment, food innovation, and next-generation robotics. The latest launches bring together global gaming culture, reinvented everyday snacks, and a glimpse into how robots may soon operate in real commercial spaces.

Square Enix

Square Enix has opened its first officially licensed store on the Chinese mainland, the Officially Licensed Square Enix Store Shanghai, at Bailian ZX.

The store offers a wide range of officially licensed merchandise based on the company's most popular franchises and plans to introduce Shanghai-exclusive limited-edition products in the future.

Known in Chinese as 史克威尔-艾尼克斯, Square Enix was established on April 1, 2003, through the merger of Square Soft and Enix. The company is one of Japan's leading video game developers and publishers.

Square became renowned for its cinematic storytelling and distinctive visual style, creating the legendary Final Fantasy franchise, widely regarded as one of the defining series in Japanese role-playing games (RPGs). Enix, meanwhile, is best known for Dragon Quest, often referred to as Japan's national RPG.

Following the merger, Square Enix expanded its portfolio to include globally recognized franchises such as Tomb Raider, NieR and Kingdom Hearts.

Its business has since grown beyond console games into mobile gaming, arcade entertainment, and merchandise, making it a cultural icon that spans multiple generations of players.

Square Enix's commitment to the Chinese market dates back many years. In December 2017, it opened Square Enix Cafe Shanghai on Huaihai Road, its first official themed café outside Japan and the third worldwide after locations in Akihabara and Umeda.

Address: 1/F, 340 Nanjing Rd E., Bailian ZX

南京东路340号1楼,百联ZX

Lemon Right (LR) Fresh Snack Store

柠檬向右新鲜零食店

China's first Lemon Right (LR) Fresh Snack Store officially opened in June at Cloud Nine Shopping Mall, drawing long queues of visitors on the opening day.

Originating in Shanghai in 2021, Lemon Right is a well-known tea beverage brand in China. It gained popularity for its signature hand-crafted lemon tea and youthful branding, and now operates nearly 600 stores nationwide.

This new cross-category store introduces a fresh retail concept centered on short shelf-life, made-to-order products, zero additives, and immediate consumption, positioning itself under the idea of "fresh snacks".

The approximately 130-square-meter store features a dopamine-inspired blue color scheme paired with warm yellow lighting.

Shelves are fully stocked with a wide variety of products, including braised meats, freshly baked pastries, preserved fruits, dried snacks, and beverages.

Unlike typical snack stores, the shop includes an open kitchen area where food preparation is visible, allowing customers to experience the process from production to sale. The aroma of freshly made snacks often slows down passersby.

After more than half a month of trial operation, several "signature items" have already emerged among customers' favorites:

• freshly made air-dried beef jerky with a firm, chewy texture;
• hand-shredded pork jerky known for its rich seasoning and bite;
• Sichuan-style bagel with a slightly spicy wheat aroma;
• heritage seaweed pastry biscuit with a crisp, crumbly texture;
• rose pastry with a light, balanced sweetness;
• duck stewed in sesame oil with tender, flavorful meat that falls off the bone.

The store has already introduced over 100 products, with plans to refresh its product lineup on a monthly basis.

Address: B2, Cloud Nine Shopping Mall, 1018 Changning Rd

长宁路1018号,龙之梦c城市生活中心B2层

AgiBot | 智元京东

As more internet companies in China accelerate their expansion into offline retail, JD is also strengthening its physical store presence. The first JD MALL in Shanghai has now officially opened in Qibao, Minhang District, marked by a giant three-dimensional mascot installation at the Qibao Metro Station.

JD MALL currently operates around 30 stores nationwide, but Shanghai had remained a blank market until now. This gap has now been filled with the opening of the first offline store of AgiBot (Zhiyuan Robotics) in collaboration with JD – the first physical retail space in China dedicated to robotics in a commercial retail environment.

AgiBot is a Chinese robotics company founded in February 2023 and headquartered in Shanghai, specializing in the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to develop general-purpose humanoid robots.

Its product range includes bipedal humanoid robots, wheeled robots, and quadruped robots.

Mascots appear throughout the mall, adding a strong visual identity to the space. The overall design is highly aesthetic, with lighting that creates a strong sense of technology and a youthful atmosphere.

The venue is spacious and conveniently connected to the metro. After exiting the station, Hall A is on the left and Hall B is on the right.

Inside Hall A, the ground floor features an eSports zone with a strong tech-driven atmosphere. The second floor includes home furnishings, bathroom products, televisions, kitchen appliances, and small household electronics.

Even the staircases are designed with a striking visual style.

Visitors looking for robots can head directly to Hall B, where the robotics area is immediately accessible upon entry.

Exhibition booths throughout the mall are designed on a large scale. The first floor mainly features smartphones and computers. Each brand space has its own distinctive design, making the entire mall feel like a large-scale consumer electronics exhibition.

Major camera brands are widely represented, often located next to Apple iPhone displays, which also attract significant attention from visitors. DJI (Da-Jiang Innovations) products are particularly popular among shoppers.

Address: 漕宝路3509号,京东MALL上海店

3509 Caobao Rd, JD MALL Shanghai

Moomin Line Art

Moomin Line Art: Shanghai Debut Exhibition has arrived in Shanghai! The exhibition focuses on the black-and-white line drawings created by Finnish artist Tove Jansson for the Moomin novel series.

Under the theme "Departing the Isle: A Voyage of Love, Courage, and Return," the exhibition follows a narrative journey of departure, growth, and reunion.

Combining original black-and-white illustrations with colorful exhibition walls, it recreates iconic scenes from Moomin Valley–including windows, staircases, mailboxes, and the famous blue Moomin House – offering visitors an immersive Nordic fairy-tale experience.

Explore Tove Jansson's original black-and-white illustrations, where the adventures and gentle spirit of Moomin Valley unfold through her distinctive line work.

Step into faithfully recreated scenes from Moomin Valley, including the iconic blue Moomin House, a highlight for visitors and photography enthusiasts alike.

The exhibition also features fan-created "Ideal Moomin Houses," offering heartfelt interpretations of love, belonging, and the idea of home.

If you go

Date: Through August 23

Opening hours: 10am–6pm

Address:1/F, Bldg 1, 2354 Xietu Rd 斜土路2354号1号楼1楼

Admission: Free