by ZHOU Fangying

Shanghai's ambition to become an international consumption center is no longer only about attracting more stores, brands or shoppers. Increasingly, the city's retail future is being shaped by experiences: cultural events, sports IP, neighborhood communities, public spaces and the emotional value people find in spending time together.

In the "Shanghai 2035: Answers for the Future" fashion and consumption session, speakers at the roundtable pointed to a shift already visible across the city. Consumption is moving beyond the mall and into streets, waterfronts, old factories, community spaces and citywide festivals.

For Professor ZHU Dajian, director of the Institute of Sustainable Development and Management at Tongji University, the key is simple: Shanghai has to become more "playable." Culture, sports and exhibitions should come before commerce, because they create the reasons for people to gather. Shopping, dining and travel then follow naturally.

Li Zhenhui, senior commercial director at Shui On Xintiandi, described a similar change in consumer behavior. People once shopped to feel happy. Today, they are more likely to spend after a space, event or community has already made them feel emotionally connected.

That logic is also changing how brands build relationships with consumers. For BROMPTON, cycling in Shanghai is not just about transport. Duan Xu, general manager of China at Brompton Bicycle, said customization, riding communities and urban routes have turned the folding bike into a lifestyle medium, linking products to identity and belonging.

The same can be seen in the way Shanghai localizes global IP. Zhang Meng of Jiushi Sports said the F1-themed Grid Flag Carnival was designed to move racing culture beyond the circuit and into city landmarks, commercial districts and gamified public activities, making a professional sport more accessible to everyday consumers.

The next stage of Shanghai's consumption story may therefore be less about where people shop, and more about why they gather. If the city can continue turning culture, sport and community into everyday urban experiences, consumption will become not just an economic activity, but part of Shanghai's global identity.

Editor's note: "Shanghai 2035: Answers for the Future" is a multimedia series produced by the Shanghai Municipal Government Information Office and Jiemian News. The project explores the city's long-term development across key sectors through documentaries, expert roundtables and interviews. The fashion and consumption chapter examines how Shanghai is reshaping urban consumption through culture, community and experiential retail.