Before the National Day Golden Week, Shenzhen's offline consumption sector welcomed new additions. On September 30, Shenzhen Bay MixC Phase 2 officially opened, featuring Bambu Lab's first global 3D printing flagship store and Honor's Alpha global flagship store. Earlier this month on September 12, JD.com Mall's first Shenzhen location also opened in Nanshan District.

Both commercial complexes are located in Shenzhen's international commercial district "Houhai-Shenzhen Bay Commercial Circle." Including the previously opened K11 ECOAST and Prince Bay VILLA, the Houhai-Shenzhen Bay commercial circle has added four new commercial complexes this year.

In March, Shenzhen Municipal Commerce Bureau released the "Shenzhen Commercial Network Planning (2025-2035)," outlining five world-class landmark commercial districts, with the Houhai-Shenzhen Bay commercial circle designated as a "medium to long-term potential world-class commercial district."

Generally speaking, world-class landmark commercial districts have commercial volumes exceeding one million square meters, serving global ultra-regional and national broad-regional consumer populations, representing a microcosm of world-class cities. How can Shenzhen catch up with the four major international commercial districts?

**"World Famous Stores" Accelerating Market Entry**

Modern international metropolises are inevitably international consumption centers. Learning from others' experiences provides valuable insights. Referencing the four major global commercial districts—Tokyo's Ginza, New York's Fifth Avenue, London's Oxford Street, and Paris's Champs-Élysées—their common characteristic is attracting over 90% of world-class luxury brands.

Renowned global consumer brands are accelerating their entry into Shenzhen this year. The concentrated layout of famous stores not only creates differentiated consumption formats but also brings unique shopping experiences to consumers.

At the end of May, Prince Bay VILLA opened in southern Shekou Peninsula, Nanshan District. It has introduced Malbon's China headquarters, Ping An Bird's global pioneer flagship store, Pinarello's first Shenzhen store, and other high-end sports brands, creating a sports ecosystem integrating professional equipment, customized courses, and community activities. The project also introduced Michelin-starred chef restaurants and Black Pearl list establishments, enriching Shenzhen's high-end consumption scenarios.

On September 30, Shenzhen Bay MixC Phase 2 officially opened as Shenzhen's second luxury shopping center. The project covers a total area of 167,000 square meters and houses 300 international brands, including over 50 international light luxury and designer brands such as POLO RALPH LAUREN and ALL SAINTS' first South China store.

Shenzhen is accelerating the optimization of its international consumption environment to build an international consumption center city. The "2023 International Consumption Center City Report" published by the 21st Century Economic Research Institute suggests that having numerous international brands is a key indicator for measuring a city's retail resource integration capacity, with meeting the consumption needs of international clientele being an important metric.

In the first half of this year, Shenzhen recorded 130 million border crossings. Whoever can capture the shopping demands of inbound tourists can convert foot traffic into consumption growth.

The international consumption environment is adjusting accordingly. For instance, at Shenzhen Bay Port, a departure tax refund agency point was launched this year. Combined with the Shekou Cruise Terminal departure tax refund point, Nanshan District became Shenzhen's first administrative district with two departure tax refund ports, while establishing three "buy-and-refund" tax refund points at Shenzhen Bay MixC, K11 ECOAST, and MixCity. Nanshan District has 371 departure tax refund stores, further improving international consumption service infrastructure.

**"Technology Products" Empowering Consumption**

However, what enables latecomers to overtake is not just the introduction of famous stores, but Shenzhen's unique scarce business format—technology-driven new consumption.

On September 30, two global flagship stores opened at Shenzhen Bay MixC Phase 2. The first is Honor's Alpha global flagship store, featuring AI experience zones, YOYO experience areas, and other scenario-based modules, transforming the abstract concept of "AI-empowered life" into concrete "walk-in experiences." This represents the brand's desire to "neighbor top-tier brands" and engage with high-end consumer groups in the Greater Bay Area's core area, advancing its premium and globalization strategy.

The second is Bambu Lab's first global 3D printing flagship store, offering experiences with 3D printing sand tables, giant petri dishes assembled from 28 3D printers, carefully designed "maker spaces" and children's study rooms, and programmable Cyber Brick 3D printing trains.

Earlier, in July, the country's largest and most comprehensive Xiaomi Home fusion store opened, deeply integrating Xiaomi SU7 series vehicles, AI glasses, and other cutting-edge technology products with "human-vehicle-home full ecosystem" scenarios, covering smartphones, home appliances, and smart home products.

On September 12, JD.com Mall's first Shenzhen store innovatively debuted with "home scenarios" as its core, creating over 30 immersive themed experience zones where visitors can learn hand-brewing techniques in coffee workshops, experience cookware performance in culinary workshops, and freely trial various household appliances with water and electricity connections.

Additionally, Shenzhen hosts the world's largest DJI flagship store, Huawei Smart Life stores, and other technology consumption landmarks. Locations like Shenzhen Talent Park feature drone delivery experience scenarios.

Technology products are becoming Shenzhen's consumption signature. During interviews, a U.S. university architecture student mentioned that robots are very important in construction, so he chose to spend his vacation specifically visiting Shenzhen.

Researchers from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Research Institute believe that the intensive landing of technology-oriented commercial projects accompanies the "technology returning to urban areas" trend, helping Shenzhen upgrade from traditional "selling goods" to "selling experiences" and "selling innovation." The model of empowering consumption experiences with technology is becoming Shenzhen's core competitive advantage distinguishing it from other cities' commercial districts.

Taking foreign examples, New York's Fifth Avenue commercial district coexists with "Silicon Alley," rivaling Silicon Valley as a classic case of technology returning to urban areas. The large number of young talents brought by these companies also helps maintain the district's vitality.

The clustering of technology and financial companies can bring new vitality to commercial districts. As an "innovation city," Shenzhen, represented by Nanshan District's Houhai-Shenzhen Bay commercial circle, hosts numerous financial and technology corporate headquarters. This year, it added Xiaomi's Shenzhen International Headquarters, ByteDance's Houhai headquarters, and others, forming a "ten-minute headquarters circle" that continues expanding.

**"Youth Trendy Products" Creating Magnetic Appeal**

In April, American influencer "Hyperthyroid Guy" experienced numerous technology and tourism projects in Shenzhen Nanshan, including riding in BYD's Yangwang U7 and dance-battling with robots, further boosting Shenzhen's technology consumption traffic.

During field visits, many foreign tourists told reporters they saw influencers' travel experiences in Shenzhen and wanted to deeply experience technology tourism projects themselves.

The "World Consumption Center Cities Report" indicates that "consumption interest points" are important factors attracting consumer visits.

"The milk dragon wearing Shenzhen school uniform is too cute! Must check it out!" On September 27, when the Shenzhen school uniform version milk dragon debuted at K11 ECOAST, it immediately became a hot social media topic. Many Shenzhen trendsetters specially came to take photos, making this IP check-in point the commercial district's "traffic code."

Young Shenzhen never lacks "top-tier IPs": Talent Park's Snorlax, Houhai Hub's Minions, Shenzhen Bay MixC's "Girl with Pearl Earring Cat" LUNA... These IP images not only attract large crowds to commercial districts but also shape Shenzhen's young, trendy consumption atmosphere.

Reporters found that beyond using IP check-ins to create consumption interest points, Shenzhen also cultivates common interests, cultural identity, and lifestyles to gather specific circles including high-net-worth individuals, Generation Z, technology enthusiasts, and art communities, providing emotional resonance and identity recognition to ignite more trendy consumption.

For example, Prince Bay VILLA targets high-end sports and coastal leisure clientele, introducing JCC International Contemporary Jewelry Art Center, Flying Blind, Shi Zai, Song Yong, and other design collection boutiques, providing unique coastal retail shopping experiences through "curated buyer systems" and personalized services.

K11 ECOAST connects art and culture enthusiasts, launching new coastal art and cultural life. Project officials told reporters that during the Dragon Boat Festival, the installation contemporary dance "Opening" attracted 200,000 visitors on the first day.

JD.com Mall attracts technology enthusiasts and Generation Z, launching e-sports festivals, vibrant neighborhood life festivals, and other activities, combining check-in installations, NPC interactions, magic shows, and wellness experiences, allowing children, white-collar workers, seniors, and other groups to find enjoyment.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Research Institute believes Shenzhen's offline commercial traffic attraction model is upgrading from 1.0 era "single-store attraction" (relying on flagship stores and single brands) to 2.0 era "ecosystem attraction," attracting vertical customer groups through clustered commercial formats while linking consumption scenarios with surrounding environments to form consumption spaces with multiple integrated effects.