Shanghai claims most spots on Dianping's list of top shopping centers

Shanghai has the largest number of the most popular shopping spaces in China, according to a list from website Dianping. Specifically, the city hosts 32 spots among a total of 171 top shopping centers in 12 domestic cities.

Deputy director of the Shanghai Commerce Commission Liu Min said it will work closer with online consumer review platforms like Dianping to showcase the latest results of the city's ongoing efforts to build itself into a center of shopping and consumption.

Data from Dianping offers valuable consumer insights, while also helping to spread Shanghai's reputation as a shopping destination, Liu noted.

According to the Shanghai Commission of Commerce, a total of 835 new stores or brands debuted in the city last year, triple the number from a year earlier.

The shopping environment at major malls is also a reflection of a city's service industry and how different consumer demands are catered for, said senior vice president of Meituan Dianping Huang Hai.

The 32 top shopping spaces in the city are located in downtown districts such as Changning, Huangpu and Jing'an.

Dianping data also indicates that shopping malls have become landmarks for travellers visiting from other cities. During peak seasons such as national holidays, as many as one third of customers at top shopping malls are out-of-town visitors.