As one of the most important fashion consumption destinations in China, Chengdu attracts a high-end consumer base with both style and strong purchasing power, drawing not only locals and people from the greater Southwest region but also visitors from across the country and overseas. Luxury and sports outdoor brands are continuing to strengthen their presence in Chengdu, with more and more choosing to open their first China stores here or significantly upgrade their existing stores to establish national or even global retail benchmarks.
Each time Luxe.CO visits Chengdu, there is a sense of novelty and excitement, with opportunities to observe the cutting-edge developments of major brands. Recently, Luxe.CO returned to Chengdu and, through on-the-ground research at leading commercial complexes such as Taikoo Li Chengdu, Chengdu IFS, and Chengdu SKP, brings the latest insights into luxury and sports outdoor brand activities:
- Sports Outdoor Brands: Major Store Upgrades and Deep Local Integration
- Luxury Brands: Ongoing Expansion and Store Revamps, with a Focus on Brand Culture Promotion
Sports Outdoor Brands: Major Store Upgrades and Deep Local Integration
Swiss performance sports brand On, which opened a physical store of over 100 square meters in Taikoo Li Chengdu in 2021, has recently unveiled its first flagship store in China in the same area, with a much larger footprint. The two-story space spans 500 square meters and showcases the brand’s full product lines across five categories: running, outdoor, fitness, tennis, and active lifestyle.
In terms of store design, the brand has deeply integrated local cultural elements: the terracotta-colored exterior wall features hand-chiseled bamboo patterns, while the store’s extensive use of terracotta tones draws inspiration from traditional Chengdu residences. During the store’s construction, On created a “bamboo forest” installation made of silver metal, with staggered heights echoing the surrounding mountains of Chengdu. This installation naturally became a popular social media feature, with passersby spontaneously sharing photos and comments.
Of note, On has showcased its proprietary LightSpray™ technology at the Chengdu flagship. Introduced in 2024 and developed by On Labs, the innovation features robotic arms that perform automated spray-weaving, enabling the completion of a running shoe upper in just three minutes.
To celebrate the store opening, On launched its Cloudboom Strike LS racing shoe featuring the LightSpray™ upper on May 1 in Chengdu.
At the store’s launch event, On executives stated that the brand plans to open 100 On stores in China by 2026.
Following launches in Tokyo’s Ginza, Beijing SKP-S, and Shanghai Zhangyuan, Japanese sports giant Asics’ fashion brand Onitsuka Tiger opened its fourth global and third China Red Concept Store in April at Chengdu IFS. This concept store represents the brand’s highest-spec format in the Chinese market.
Located on the first floor of the IFS Heritage Plaza and adjacent to the under-construction standalone boutique of British designer brand Vivienne Westwood, the store features a striking all-red design theme throughout its exterior and interior displays.
During its grand opening, Onitsuka Tiger set up tables, chairs, and a limited-time food truck outside the store, creating an eye-catching backdrop for street-style photography while also offering shoppers a space to rest and socialize.
The two-story store presents a full range of products, including footwear, apparel, and bags. A dedicated customization zone on the second floor allows customers to personalize their shoes with letters, numbers, or limited-edition patterns. A store staff member told Luxeplace, “The panda motif is currently exclusive to the Chengdu IFS store and is not available at any other locations.”
In addition to the embroidery customization area, the second floor also houses a VIP Room, which, in China, is available only at the Shanghai Zhangyuan and Chengdu IFS stores.
Another notable new store is from KOLON SPORT, a brand under Anta Group. The company recently opened its first-ever KOLON KRAFT flagship store in China, located in Taikoo Li Chengdu. According to store staff, this is also the brand’s largest retail space in Chengdu.
The two-story, 300-square-meter store displays multiple product lines, including the newly launched K:, HIKING, CAMPING, E.D.O, and an exclusive Chengdu edition. The iconic tree element from the brand’s logo plays a central narrative role in the store’s interior design, blending seamlessly with local natural scenery and cultural inspiration. The second floor also features an open-air terrace, envisioned as a future venue for brand community events.
Other brands that have chosen Chengdu as the site for high-spec stores or first/flagship locations in China or the region include adidas, Jordan, Ticket To The Moon, and Peak Performance.
In May, Swedish outdoor fashion brand Peak Performance opened its first store in Southwest China at Chengdu MixC. In March, Bali-originated handcrafted hammock outdoor brand Ticket To The Moon opened its first China store at CPI Luxelakes Chengdu.
At the end of last year, adidas launched its highest-tier integrated retail space to date in China — a brand center in Taikoo Li Chengdu. This three-story standalone building spans 1,787 square meters and includes the full spectrum of adidas collections, from football, basketball, running, training, and outdoor to Stella McCartney, Y-3, and Originals.
Around the same time, Jordan, a Nike brand, opened its third World of Flight store in China at Chengdu IFS Heritage Plaza. This is part of the brand’s next-generation flagship retail format.
Just a few hundred meters from the Jordan store, Li-Ning recently set up a pop-up space on Chunxi Road to showcase its full-chain environmental product initiatives. When asked why Chengdu was chosen for this launch, a Li-Ning PR representative told Luxeplace, “The foot traffic on Chunxi Road attracts a large number of consumers. Even close to 11 p.m., our store still sees customers coming in.”
Luxury Brands: Continued Expansion and Store Upgrades, with a Focus on Brand Culture Promotion
So far this year, multiple luxury brands have opened new stores in Chengdu. Dior unveiled a standalone menswear boutique at Taikoo Li Chengdu; Rolex also debuted a new store in the same complex; and Corthay opened its Southwest flagship at Chengdu SKP.
Several luxury brands have also launched upgraded stores.
Italian high jewelry house Buccellati relocated its first boutique in Southwest China from the third floor to the first floor of Chengdu IFS, reopening on May 1. The new location now sits alongside other prestigious jewelry houses such as Van Cleef & Arpels, BVLGARI, Graff, and Tiffany & Co.
Earlier this year, Louis Vuitton reopened its renovated store at Chengdu IFS, now spanning three floors and over 3,000 square meters, showcasing the brand’s full range of offerings—menswear, womenswear, leather goods, travel items, accessories, footwear, watches, fine jewelry, fragrances, homeware, and art de vivre collections.
What sets the new store apart is the addition of a full-floor VIC (Very Important Client) space on the third level. A store associate told Luxeplace that such a large dedicated VIC area in such a prime location is extremely rare.
The VIC floor features three exclusive VIP zones. Before reaching them, guests pass through a lobby area featuring China’s first 360-degree LED display surrounding a hot-air-balloon-themed antique trunk exhibition. The staff shared that all trunks in the display are over a century old and were specially transported from Paris, with some of them repurchased from previous owners at premium prices.
Chanel also carried out an expansion at Chengdu IFS. At the end of last year, the brand opened a two-story boutique with an exclusive VIC space. The first and second floors display the full Chanel collection, including bags, jewelry, apparel, watches, and footwear. The footwear section was moved from the first floor to a larger area at the entrance of the second floor. On the third floor, the VIC space offers more private service, and the store’s stylist team provides personalized fashion advice for VIP clients.
Notably, Chanel also opened a new two-story boutique at Chengdu SKP last year. With this addition, Chanel now operates three stores in Chengdu, a relatively rare occurrence for the brand even on a global scale, highlighting its strong focus on the Chengdu market.
Meanwhile, Chanel’s former standalone temporary store on Hongxing Road at Chengdu IFS has now been replaced with a construction hoarding for Ralph Lauren.
Other luxury brands are currently undergoing renovations. Hermès is upgrading its Taikoo Li Chengdu store, operating from a temporary location next to the Rolex boutique. Audemars Piguet has also erected construction hoardings in Taikoo Li, with its new boutique set to be located next to Balenciaga.
At the end of 2022, Louis Vuitton opened its first restaurant in China at The Hall at Taikoo Li Chengdu. Covering over 2,000 square meters, the open courtyard venue has made a lasting impression that arguably surpasses even the brand’s flagship retail space.
The Hall has become one of Louis Vuitton’s most important permanent event venues in China. It has hosted collaborative art installations with Takashi Murakami, Lunar New Year-themed exhibitions, and currently, a trunk art exhibition. The foyer showcases trunks of varying functions and styles, while the courtyard centerpiece is a replica of the Eiffel Tower made entirely from vintage Louis Vuitton trunks.
Next to the Hermès store, French heritage brand Goyard opened its first and largest duplex store in Asia at Taikoo Li Chengdu in October last year. Known for its discretion and lack of mass marketing or celebrity partnerships, this new store is one of the brand’s most high-profile moves in China in recent years.
The design pays tribute to the brand’s Paris flagship, and the staircase wall between the two floors features historical memorabilia: a custom trunk set used by Jacques Cartier to attend the coronation of King George V in India, and archival images of the Duchess of Windsor arriving in Palm Beach with her Goyard trunks.
In a delightful surprise, when store staff learned we were visiting from out of town, they proactively shared a self-made Chengdu food guide. Similarly, during a previous Luxeplace visit to a boutique of an Italian luxury brand in Chengdu, staff offered a carefully curated PDF guide to food, shopping, and entertainment. These small gestures reflect the thoughtful service systems of luxury brands, perfectly aligned with Chengdu’s rich lifestyle atmosphere.
｜Image Credit: Luxeplace photography, brand official channels
｜Editor: Zhu Ruoyu
