Mall Makeover

購(gòu)物中心曾經(jīng)是都市生活風(fēng)向標(biāo)，如今正流失人氣。怎樣'爆改'才能讓它再次熱鬧起來(lái)？

As China's malls struggle in an era of e-commerce and slowing consumption，some are becoming lifestyle hubs，nostalgic sanctuaries，andevenpublicservicecenters

購(gòu)物中心曾經(jīng)是都市生活風(fēng)向標(biāo)，如今正流失人氣。怎樣“爆改”才能讓它再次熱鬧起來(lái)？

W friends.“If Ireally need something， Ican just buy it online，”she explains.

As China's economy slows down and online shopping booms，malls across the country arelosing theiroldappealand struggling to retain customers like Guo Yunqi.Instead of just being a place to shop，malls are trying to reinvent themselves as destinations for socializing and leisure.

Forty years ago， when the concept of shopping centerswasfirstimported into China，malls

seemed likeanunstoppable trend in China's consumer economy.In the 198Os，Chinese department stores，inspired by American shopping malls，began to add canteensand recreational offerings like karaokelounges，bars，and ballrooms to theirpremises.

Inthedecade thatfollowed，foreignretailers like Carrefour entered the Chinese market. They popularized the idea of one-stop shopping and inspired domestic competitors to integrate dining，leisure，and entertainment under one roof. Meng Siyuan， a writer in her 3Os from Zhejiang province， remembers the local mall， Guoshang， as both a playground and a refuge during her childhood in the 1990s.

\"Ithad everything-daily necessities， food，and drinks.Whenever we needed something， we'd go there，” she says.Apart from hosting one of the fewlarge supermarkets in her hometown，a small cityin Zhejiang，fornearlya decade，Guoshang had jewelrycounters，skincare booths，fashion boutiques，and electronics stores; organized holidayactivities，like lanternriddle exhibitions during theLantern Festival; and wasa place where one could gowhen feeling low， and alwaysrun into a neighbor or friend.“Youalways found the thing you needed，” says Meng.

The rise and hollowing

China's firstmodernmall issaid to be Teemall in the southern city of Guangzhou.When it opened in1996，tens of thousands of visitors made useofitsdepartment store，supermarket，buffet， and roller rink each day.By the 2O1Os，malls had

become standard fixtures in every urban center， and evolved into ever-expanding complexes packed with restaurants，cinemas，children's playareas， fitness centers，and pop-up exhibition halls..anything to make the modern consumer stayandspend.

This same era in China also sawa boom in the retail sector.Average disposable incomes more than doubled，and demand rose for fashion， dining， electronics，and leisure.In the two decades following 2Oo3，leading developer Wanda opened over 5OO malls across the country.Forreal estate developers，building mega-mallsbecamea powerful tool for securing land-use rights fromlocal governments，who in turn saw shopping centers asaway to achieve urbanization targets，generate rental income，and boost consumption—and the pricesofnearbyapartments.

However，as e-commerce became a cost-effective and time-saving alternative to ofline shopping，

At the turn of the millennium，retailboomed，andvisiting mals becameasymbolof urban lifestyle （VCG]

Most malls today become nothing but scenic backdropspleasant to look at， but empty and generic， wvithout a unique sense of place or experience.

and the property sector cooled， this strategy became unsustainable.Countlessmalls are now strugglingto survive.ThisApril，aRainbow Mall，once one of Beijing's best-known shopping destinations，shut downafterl5 years ofoperation due to its parent company's falling revenue.In 2024 alone，more than 40 malls closed out of over 6，000 operating nationwide，most of which had beenin business fora decade or more，according to financial research platform Yilantop.

\"In these malls，all thebrands and stores look the same.People come once and never return，” says ZhangYin，abusiness consultantinhis4Os from central China.To him，mostmalls todaybecome nothing but scenic backdrops—pleasant to look at， but empty and generic，withouta unique sense of place or experience.

For Zhang，malls need to turn themselves into real community hubs to survive.Instead of retail， regular events and activitiesare now crucial for giving people a reason to visit a shopping center morethan once.That transformationisalready underway，with mallsin citieslike Shanghai， Beijing，and Wuhanrebranding themselvesas sellers of“experiences.\"In 2023，Bailian ZX mall in Shanghai hosted over 7OO anime and pop culture events within just 18 months，drawing over 15 million visitors and grossing over 5O0 million yuan.InWuhan，X118similarlyleaned into anime themesand sawa 32 percent increase inits revenue since itsreopeningin 2023.

But just ashomogeneity killed off the retail sector of many malls，many shopping centers' rebranding effortsalso lack originality.“Malls don't need to sell so many goods， but need a distinct theme，” says Zhang. A mall in Zhengzhou， which was redesigned around cosplay and anime last October， only sees traffic when there is an event，he adds.“The rest of the time，it is empty.”

Last year， Zhang's team helped transform a former rice warehouse into a hybrid mall.The initial buzz faded quickly.“People came during holidaysand forafter-workdinners，butnot much else，” Zhang tells TWOC.In response，his team quickly changed its strategies，introducing themed bar nights，coffee workshops，and costume parties.“The idea is to create a reason to stay and enjoythe space itself，\"saysZhang.“It'snotabout turning malls into scenic spots，but offering highquality， everyday experiences that people want to comeback for.\"

Charm of the old ways

Many mall developers are leaning into localization as a way to escape the copy-paste model. Shopping centers are embracing nostalgia， local culture，and storytelling—tools that not onlydrawtraffic throughnovelty，butalso build emotional connections.

InShanghai，aRafflesmall recreates life in the city's199Osalleyways，where visitors can spot wax-figure grannies selling magnolia flowers，retro TV sets，and street ping-pong tables—scenes that appeal to nostalgia.In Changchun，Wuyue Plaza weaves insymbols of the city'sautomotive and film heritage to stira sense of pride among older generations.In Shenzhen，Vankeli revives the essence of old Canton with neon signage， vintage phone booths，and train station replicas.These aim to make the mall feel less like a retail space and more like a stroll down a collective memory lane.

The once-overlooked underground floors， oftenreserved for food courtsand otherlow-cost businesses due to the cheaper rent， have quietly become some of the most dynamic spaces in malls. The ground floors have also shifted from cosmetics and jewelry to bubble teastalls，trendycollectibles， and digital gadgets aimed at younger crowds.

Commercial plannerGe Hong sees this as a necessary evolution.AccordingtoGe，ratherthan chasingluxuryflagships，manymallsnow target utility and community.“It's a strategyborn out of necessity，” says the 28-year-old from Beijing， who requested to use a pseudonym.In a Beijing mall she worked on this year， Ge saw a reshuffling of tenants： the ground floor， once lined with fashionboutiques， nowhouses gold jewelry， car shows，and household appliance stores.\"You need reliable revenue to support more experimental or riskier ideas，”says Ge.

For Ge， a mall is also a community space.In a recent renewal project at a Beijing mall， she plans to add a badminton court and designated areas forchildrenandpets，basedonfeedback from local residents.‘A mall should be somewhere people want to spend time-even if they don't buy anything，” she tells TWOC.Some malls，she adds， even include marriage registration offices and lowcost community canteens.“Since malls are often centrally located， they're naturally well-suited to meeting everyday needs.Many are already serving as informal community centers.\"

Thisapproach reflectsabroader transformation in the role of malls. Guo Zengli， director of China Shopping Center Development Association of Mall China， explained to Phoenix Business Weekly in 2023 that malls are increasingly evolving from purely commercial venues into spaces thatblend

Theonce-overlooked underground floors， often reserved for food courts and other lowcost businesses due to the cheaper rent， have quietly become some of the most dynamic spaces in malls.

commerce with public services—combining shopping centers with art galleries， libraries，and museums to meet rising social demand.

And while many traditional malls still struggle to stayafloat，some older onesarewinning over young customers with their vintage appeal. Faded interiors，handwritten receipts，and chatty salesladieshavebecomeunexpected draws fora younger generation.“Everything was cheap，and theservice feltwarmer，”recallsGuo Yunqi，who visiteda decade-old mall inBeijing in 2023.

She found unexpected joy in the old-fashioned checkout process： prices get penciled in by hand before being typed into a register from the 1990s. \"It still retained that old-school system，not just scanand paylikemostmalls today.Ifound that pretty charming，” says Guo Yunqi. She ended up staying forhours，leaving witharetro camisole. Onsocial media platforms likeXiaohongshu （RedNote），hundreds of visitors treat these malls asnostalgic backdrops， posing under vintage signage and sharing their experience online.

Small-town boom

While metropolises may lament the decline of malls， China's smaller cities are embracing themlike neverbefore.For“l(fā)ow-tier”cities that lack large shopping centers，recognizable brands， and varietyin leisure activities， the arrival of big brands can feel likea cultural milestone.

Liu Ya，a middle school teacherin her 30s who moved back to her hometown of Wuhu，

InNantong，Jiangsu province，amall livestreams the Jiangsu FootballCity League toattract shoppers （VCG]

A Nanjing mallis combining retail with culture by incorporating an art museum （VCG]

Anhui，fromBeijingin 2021，has seenherlocal mall come alive with the recent opening of Hema supermarket.‘InBeijing，malls like thisarea dime a dozen，” saysLiu，who asked to use a pseudonym. “Butback home， they're still a novelty.It's where everyone goes—especiallyduringholidays，since there aren't many other places to hang out.\"

Inlesser-known cities，malls retain their cachet assymbolsofurbanization.“It'slikewe're catchingupwith big city trends，”Liu says，“even if it's just by going for a cup of coffee.\"With limited entertainment options beyond karaoke and movies， the arrival of brand-name chains promises young people likeLiu that， at leastwhen itcomes to lifestyle and shopping， they can have it just as good as their big-city peers.

Developers and chain stores，too，are attracted to smallercities forlowerrental costs，which can generate higher returns.According to the China Chain Store and Franchise Association，nearly 400 shopping centers opened across the country in2023，withabout4Opercentinthird-tiercities and below，nearly triple therateof first-tier cities.Whena Wanda Plaza opened in Shehong，

Sichuan，inlate 2023，over400，000 visitors flocked to the complexin the first week to check out popular brands like PizzaHut and Chagee milk tea.InYidu，Hubei，anotherWandaPlaza openedlastJanuary，andmadeover17million yuaninsalesduringitsfirstweek.

Planner Ge sees the trend as a rational shift. \"It’s too competitive in big cities，” she says. \"Everything is expensive.But in smaller cities， there'sspace， there's curiosity， and there's demand. Whether it'sa newbrand ora newkind of space， it has room to grow.\"

Gebelieves the demand for malls won't disappearanytime soon.“Peoplethinkmallsare dying，”she says.“But as long as people live ina neighborhood， they'll need places to gather， to eat， to bring their kids.Malls won't disappear—they'll just evolve.\"

Zhang， the business consultant， believes the next evolution won'tbeaboutaesthetics，but content. “Amall shouldn't justbea shell forbeautiful lifestyles.It should contain the content of life itself. A place to drink tea，join book clubs，and talk to strangers.Thisiswhatlife'sabout.\"