Beijing's 'first stores' prove a draw for cross-city visitors over National Day

Over the National Day holiday, the accents heard in Beijing's major shopping districts were as likely to be from Sichuan or Guangdong as from the capital itself. The draw: "first stores" — the first Beijing outpost for brands new to the city — which saw a surge in foot traffic.

At the Hopson One shopping complex in Beijing's Chaoyang district, Yan Qingshan Chengdu Hot Pot's first Beijing outlet drew large crowds during the holiday, with dozens of parties on the waitlist and waiting times reaching two hours at peak periods.

A college student surnamed Li from Langfang in neighboring Hebei Province arrived at the restaurant with her luggage, took a number and browsed nearby shops while waiting.

Xu Yanli, the brand's Beijing general agent, said holiday traffic was 1.5 to 2 times from the norm. A good share of it, she said, came from out of town.

First stores in other shopping districts proved equally popular. Quchashan, a tea beverage brand, drew large numbers of visitors to its first Beijing store in Beijing's Wangfujing shopping district. By 3:30 p.m., 216 orders were waiting to be prepared, with an estimated wait of about an hour. The brand also introduced a range of Beijing-inspired drinks and ice cream featuring sesame paste, a local specialty.

Liu Siyu, a shopper in her twenties, came from central China's Hunan Province to shop at China World Mall, a major retail destination in Beijing. Her phone notes held a list of stores to hit: Matin Kim, the South Korean designer brand, in its first Chinese mainland store; and POPOP, the jewelry line from toy giant Pop Mart, in its Beijing debut. "I can buy clothes from a Korean designer brand without going to South Korea," she said.

Customers shop for jewelry at Beijing's first POPOP store. (Photo/Beijing Daily)

Xu Ke, a graduate student from north China's Tianjin Municipality, went straight to Beijing's first POPOP store on arrival. She said the brand has few outlets outside the capital.

Beijing's retail market had seen a wave of new openings before the holiday, spanning dining, home decor and AI experiences.

First stores also became a window for showcasing new technology during the holiday.

Robot maker Unitree Robotics opened its first company-owned store in April on the first floor of a mall in Beijing's Wangfujing shopping district, stocked with humanoid and quadruped robots. During the holiday, a robot dog performing flips and handstands drew crowds, many of them from Jiangsu and Shandong provinces in eastern China.

"My child loves watching the robot dog and doesn't want to leave," a tourist said.

A couple from Hebei Province brought their 12-year-old to the Beijing debut of Bambu Lab, a 3D printing company, so the family could try the machines.

Ai Lun, Bambu Lab's head of retail, said one store alone can draw several thousand visits on a weekend. Many of those customers, he said, come less to buy than to watch the printers run and see the models come off them.

Data from the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau show the city opened 672 brick-and-mortar first stores from January to August. Another 50 first stores, flagship stores and concept stores were slated to open over the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays.