New Year Bonanza for Minhang Malls Amid Sales, Foot Traffic Rebound

Malls and retail complexes in Minhang District saw a strong rebound in terms of sales and foot traffic over the New Year period, with retailers actively adopting new formats in response to shoppers' preference.

The Sky Mall in Xinzhuang Town is among malls that have taken on a new look as they shift from merely "selling goods" to "creating lifestyles," a clear trend amid the transformation of the retail industry.

Sky Mall has completed a 15-month renovation project without closing the store, which was carried out in several phases through targeted refurbishment zone by zone.

Yuan An, head of Sky Mall, said it began on the fifth floor with the least impact for customers, creating a rooftop sports center to attract young and active communities.

It has also connected the fourth floor's dining hub to bring more foot traffic to both levels.

Currently the construction of the basement plaza is nearing completion with cafes, diners and bistros to be introduced at the southern section of the plaza. A new membership-based supermarket will also open in the area as it transforms into a 24-hour lifestyle hub.

"Renovation isn't merely brand replacement. It's offering a new retail concept that better suits customers' needs," stated Yuan.

The mall's target demographic has expanded from families aged between 25-45 years to encompass people of all ages from 7 to 77, and it will also highlight emerging sectors such as products and services suitable for the elderly group, night economy and pet economy.

During the renovation, the mall maintained footfall through regular and promotional events, and it has kept a steady daily foot traffic of nearly 70,000, showing an 8 percent year-on-year increase in the first 11 months of 2025, achieving steady growth.

Yuan noted that both the north and south section of the basement plaza will be open to the public ahead of the Spring Festival next month, offering shoppers with fresh shopping experiences.

Meanwhile, the first JD Mall in Shanghai is set to be unveiled in Minhang's Qibao area, covering over 40,000 square meters of retail space.

It's expected to become a large-scale, specialized technology-driven lifestyle retail destination in Shanghai's southwestern district.

Different from the conventional model of brand displays, the mall features over 10 immersive experience zones spanning diverse scenarios, including Chinese and Western style kitchens, whole-home smart systems, esports areas and senior-friendly living spaces.

"This kind of shopping area set-up allows consumers to experience features like smart wearable devices, artificial intelligence glasses translation and virtual reality home previews under real home-living settings," noted Fu Rong, head of JD's appliances operation in Shanghai.

Every product at the store will be tagged with electronic price labels, guaranteeing the same price, quality and service as JD's online platform and shoppers can also use coupons and membership benefits.

As a pivotal project in Qibao's retail landscape transition, JD Mall plans to introduce top-tier brands, including Apple, Huawei and DJI, with some products making their Shanghai debut.

The new site also offers 500 to 600 new jobs in the region.

"Revitalizing existing retail spaces is not about a one-size-fits-all approach, but rather achieving precise breakthroughs based on the positioning of commercial districts and the characteristics of their customer base," noted Peng Zheying, director of Minhang's commerce commission.

The differentiated positioning of Sky Mall and JD Mall reflects the overarching strategy for commercial layout while avoiding competition among similar shopping destinations.

The core idea is to shift from "selling goods" to "creating new consumption scenarios" and to closely align with customers' real shopping needs, Peng noted.

Currently there are a total of 45 retail complexes and shopping malls in the district.