2 | Monday, March 1, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY PAGE TWO Malls: Promotional activities launched
From page 1 experience, the company has intro duced new energy cars, designer “I used to buy luxury jewelry and clothing for children and a fitness bags at dutyfree shops when I trav training center. eled abroad. The pandemic has made this impossible, so I decided Going digital to buy from the department store,” Zhang Xi, a VIP member of she said. Chaoyang Hopson, said she uses the Lin said last year had been “super shopping center’s app for its promo hard”, so she wanted to give herself tional activities. the best items she could afford. “At first, I just downloaded the “I don’t view this as revenge app to pay my parking fees when I spending, because I’ve always went to the center, but I gradually shopped like this in previous years. I discovered many interactive games, just changed my purchasing chan promotional events and evouchers nels,” she said. on it, which are very useful,” she “In addition, I have found that said. department stores and shopping “I use the vouchers to take free malls have become more creative piano lessons, gym classes and oil than before the pandemic emerged. painting lessons at the center. I can They seem to be providing more spend a whole day there, dining, interactive experiences in an shopping, attending art sessions attempt to attract and retain cus and watching a film after booking in tomers.” advance through the app.” Lin said it costs more to buy the As a result of the pandemic, most same type of handbag in a depart shopping malls have strengthened ment store than at a dutyfree shop, their online services to attract addi but the better shopping environ tional revenue and customers. ment and service provided by a Zhang said she exchanged her store compensate for this. consumer points on the Chaoyang Xie Dan, deputy general manager Hopson app for cosmetics, which of the SKP Beijing department store, were delivered to her home. said China’s success in controlling “It was a nice experience, which and preventing COVID19 has creat makes me want to visit the center ed a relatively good business envi more,” she said. ronment for domestic companies. Last year, Ikea, the Swedish furni “Due to the pandemic, SKP has ture giant, launched its online app attracted many consumers who in China, offering a range of promo Top: Customers shop at the SKP Beijing department store. WANG SHIQIANG / FOR CHINA DAILY Below left: A poster for fashion brand Zara adorns a used to shop for highend luxuries tions from its physical stores, which wall outside the company’s flagship store at the APM mall in the capital’s Wangfujing shopping street. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY overseas,” she said. have attracted many customers, Below right: Young customers are attracted by popular Chinese toys at the mall. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY “Chinese consumers now contrib including Zhang. ute 35 percent to global fashion con “I used to go to Ikea’s Siyuanqiao sumption, whereas previously only store in Beijing quite often, but I a small proportion of that total now shop at the company online, as came from China.” it saves me so much time. Also, the In 2019, the company opened store is always crowded,” she said. SKPS, a new outlet one street away Zhang Ying, saleswoman for a from SKP Beijing. In addition to tra jewelry brand at Chaoyang Hopson ditional luxury brands such as Louis One, often adds customers as her Vuitton, Prada and Balenciaga, the friends on WeChat, with the aim of new venue boasts niche ones, includ providing better service and com ing Rick Owens, Jil Sander, Stone munication. Island and Moose Knuckles, which She posts photos of products on are popular among young customers. her account each day and answers SKP Group, the mother company questions from customers via the of Beijing SKP, has expanded its app. market share elsewhere in China. “I have to do mobile promotion to According to local media reports, build bridges between customers on Jan 18, the group signed an and the brand I work for,” she said. agreement to launch a store in “There is now no clear line Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang between online and offline sales. We province. use all the tools we can to attract cus with more than half the participants since the pandemic started. In 2018, the group opened an SKP tomers. I make friends with them, taking part in such broadcast for the In December, highend commer store in Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi provide them with service and make first time. cial building operator Beijing Yintai province, its second after the Beijing money for both the brand and Property Co, which is based in the outlet. Last year, it also launched myself.” Innovative experience capital’s central business district, department store projects in Kun Shopping centers have also In September, the commerce allocated space on its second and ming, capital of Yunnan province, turned to livestreaming sessions bureau in Beijing introduced meas third floors for artists to display and Chengdu, the Sichuan provin during the pandemic. ures to encourage the launch of flag their work, with the aim of attract cial capital. In Beijing, to boost consumption, ship stores in the capital, entitling ing more customers. Beijing’s secondlargest shopping the commerce bureau has organized brands to subsidies for store decora This space at the Beijing Yintai center, Chaoyang Hopson One, several such broadcasts for tradition tion and rent. Center, named Yuan Living, was which occupies an area of 190,000 al food and clothing brands. The ses Last year, the capital saw 31 flag launched by the company and the square meters, has staged a series of sions have proved popular. ship store launches from interna Yuan Art Museum to bring beauty to promotional activities to boost con On June 6, the bureau staged tional brands, according to the consumers and integrate art, sumption during the pandemic. livestreaming events to mark the China Office and Business Park Ten design, business and life. By the end of May, customer flow start of the summer spending sea ant Profile 2019 Beijing released Visitors can see and even touch at the center had returned to the lev son, raising revenue of 1.4 billion recently by real estate services com artworks that include furniture, el seen the previous year. yuan by staging such broadcasts pany CB Richard Ellis. Catering clothing, paintings and jewelry Now, about 100,000 customers a until the end of last year. businesses comprised 32 percent of made by domestic artists and day are visiting the venue — a signif In November, more than 300 the brands launching in the city. designers. icant rebound for the center, which companies in Beijing joined a live At the end of last year, English Xu Daichuan, deputy general is reshuffling the brands it stocks. streaming contest to introduce their Premier League soccer club Man manager of Yintai Property Co, To broaden visitors’ shopping products to customers via apps, chester United launched its enter which owns the center, said the tainment center, Theatre of Dreams, company believes art is an impor at Beijing Fun, south of Tian’anmen tant part of business and can enrich Square. customers’ shopping experience. The threefloor, 3,800squareme “We also want to provide more ter venue comprises an experience space and opportunities for domes center with interactive games, along tic artists to show their talent. It’s a with the world’s largest Manchester winwin project and the space is United franchise store, where fans allocated to artists for free,” he said. can buy genuine accessories from Many shopping centers in Beijing, the club. including Parkview Green, Beijing Store launches have proved effec SKP and Sanlitun, have turned to tive in giving customers new experi staging free art exhibitions. ences and with helping businesses Xu said, “It’s about creating a recover. space for customers, not just selling For example, last year, Apple things.” opened its new flagship store in San litun, one of Beijing’s busiest and Consumption power most fashionable areas, while niche As retailers continue to go digital fragrance brands Kilian, Maison and provide a better experience for Boucheron and Tiffany launched customers, shoppers have also con boutique stores at Beijing SKP. tributed greatly to the economy, Feng Lin, a middleaged Beijing thanks to their rising incomes. mother with a 3yearold daughter, Beijing residents are earning said, “After staying home for several more than before, with per capita months, I started to reflect on my disposable income in 2019 ranking shopping habits. second among China’s municipali “I can buy almost everything I ties and provinces, according to the require online. Staying home didn’t city government. affect my consumption or daily Per capita disposable income in needs. However, during the pan the capital in 2019 reached 68,000 demic, I badly wanted to visit a spa yuan, up from 48,000 yuan in 2015, cious, gleaming shopping mall with representing average annual beautiful items on display and to growth of 6.6 percent, according to savor the aroma from coffee shops. Lin Enquan, deputy head of the Bei “This experience matters. It jing Development and Reform Com makes me feel good when I go to a mission. shopping center and have the time The upcoming opening of Univer to relax and enjoy life.” sal Studios Beijing, and the Winter Department stores and shopping Olympics next year, are expected to centers have worked hard to pro further inspire Beijing retailers and An art exhibition opens at the SKP Beijing store in December. YAN TONG / FOR CHINA DAILY vide such experiences, especially attract more customers.