From boutique shops to brands with ambition, Shanghai’s retail scene is booming
Unlike mall-centric cities the world over, Shanghai’s retail scene is brimming with boutiques and full of confidence.
Shanghai remains the primary hub for any major brand with serious ambitions in China’s vast market. The giant ship-shaped space unveiled by Louis Vuitton last year is just the latest example. While much of the attention this century has been on the ups and downs of European luxury, consumer trends in China’s commercial capital are fast-moving with increased competition from domestic brands.
The best in class embrace a broader view of luxury and modern lifestyles to deliver international looks that reference Eastern traditions. They also invest more in their offline shop windows, notwithstanding the significance of Tmall, Xiaohongshu and other e-commerce channels.
Shanghai’s retail scene is sophisticated, full of confidence and less mall-centric than other Asian megacities. Heritage houses are being transformed into monobrand maisons, while art deco architecture by László Hudec and the like are being restored and put to use as shopping compounds and public spaces (Robert Ho Tung’s former residence at Shaanxi Road 457 has just opened to the public after nearly a century). Zhangyuan’s historic shikumen (traditional stone-gate houses) are opening in stages, a quarter of a century since the Xintiandi district was pedestrianised, setting the bar for developers to do better.
So if you’re in town, touching down or planning a trip, here is a selection of 15 must-visit addresses across six districts that offer Shanghai’s singular take on fashion, design and the future of retail. Here’s one to get you started.
Icicle
Icicle has been at the forefront of Chinese sustainable fashion for almost three decades, using natural fabrics from ethical sources and incorporating eco-friendly pigments such as pomegranate peel and pu’er tea. Married owners Ye Shouzeng and Shawna Tao continue to run their understated brand, which now operates in two timezones. Global expansion started 13 years ago with a design studio in Paris and the label has since grown to include four shops in the French capital and ownership of couture label Carven. The first Garden Store concept debuted in Shanghai in 2024, combining the two brands with a restaurant and café in a restored 1920s villa.
icicle.com.cn
James Chambers is Monocle’s Asia editor. For more opinion, insight and analysis, subscribe to Monocle today.
