Another rising second-tier city catches the eye of popular sports and outdoor brands—Quanzhou
In the past month, three international sports and outdoor brands—lululemon, The North Face, and Saucony—have launched their first stores in Quanzhou in rapid succession. Additionally, Chinese outdoor lifestyle brand Banana Under and children’s sportswear brand Dodopoli have opened their inaugural stores, with Dodopoli introducing a limited-time pop-up.
Lululemon’s new store has especially captured the enthusiasm of local consumers, with many taking to social media to inquire about the opening date, store location, popular styles, and discounts, commenting, “Now we don’t need to go all the way to Xiamen for lululemon.”
According to reports from Zhongjun World City, lululemon’s opening day in Quanzhou saw long lines and a record-breaking daily sales figure exceeding 400,000 RMB, marking the highest single-day performance for a new lululemon store in Fujian Province.
Some might be scratching their heads in wonder. In reality, Quanzhou is already a trillion-yuan economy, ranking first among China’s “trillion-yuan cities” for GDP growth rate.
In the first half of 2024, Quanzhou’s GDP reached 592.5 billion RMB, placing it 22nd among 26 trillion-yuan cities nationwide. At constant prices, Quanzhou’s growth rate surpassed Suzhou, ranking it first among these cities.
Despite its strong consumer purchasing power, Quanzhou’s fashion spending often flows to Xiamen and Fuzhou, with luxury shopping directed toward Hong Kong and Macau. However, the arrival of these new brands is likely to unlock greater local potential for fashion consumption.
Quanzhou has a long-standing foundation in the fashion and sports industries. According to the Quanzhou Bureau of Commerce, Quanzhou’s textile and apparel sales account for 10% of the national market, and its sports shoe sales represent 40%, earning it the nickname “home of half the domestic brands.”
Many well-known and long-established apparel companies, such as Anta, Xtep, Lilanz, Joeone, Septwolves, and K-Boxing, originated in Quanzhou, particularly in the county-level city of Jinjiang.
Quanzhou’s fashion retail landscape is transitioning from traditional street stores to commercial complexes. Although Quanzhou is a popular tourist destination, its shopping centers primarily cater to local consumers rather than tourists.
The city now features multiple shopping districts, including the Chengdong Business District and the Wanda Business District in Puxi. Various shopping centers like FUNWORLD, Wanda Plaza, Powerlong Plaza, and SM City are scattered throughout the city, each primarily serving its local community.
Lululemon, The North Face, Saucony, Banana Under, and Dodopoli, along with MAOGEPING (a high-end Chinese cosmetics brand) which opened earlier this year, are all located in Zhongjun World City. This ten-year-old shopping center houses Quanzhou’s largest collection of premium and luxury brands, including Coach, Chanel, Dior, YSL, Cartier, and Omega. With this new round of brand upgrades, Quanzhou’s fashion commercial landscape is expected to align more closely with that of first-tier cities.
Upcoming projects are set to further invigorate Quanzhou, the eastern starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, with new commercial vitality.
In August, China Resources announced plans to enter Quanzhou for the first time, with the intention of developing the MixC project in Quanzhou’s Central Business District. This will be China Resources’ third MixC complex in Fujian Province.
Quanzhou’s Maritime Silk Road-themed performance theater complex is also set to open for bidding soon, including plans for a shopping street and a five-star hotel, with renowned director Zhang Yimou engaged as the lead director for the theater.
At a recent high-end hotel investment fair in Quanzhou, 16 hotel projects from the Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt groups were signed.
丨Image Credit: Quanzhou FUNWORLD Xiaohongshu Account; lululemon Weibo Account; FUNWORLD Group Official Website; Luxe.CO Production
丨Editor: Zhu Ruoyu
