Jiading commercial complexes leverage services, dining and sports
Commercial complexes in Jiading New City are seeking new opportunities through continuous adjustment of tenant mix and precision marketing strategies to find a way that is in line with their own development.
Jiading Powerlong Plaza is adjacent to Yuanxiang Lake and Jiading Library. It has been in operation for six years. The overall design of the shopping mall is inspired by lotus blooming in Yuanxiang Lake.
The architecture presents the petal shape of blooming flowers, creating an open and natural shopping environment for consumers.
Due to consumers' ever-changing consumption habits and growing demand for shopping environment, the mall operator continues to make adjustments to meet market demands.
Not long ago, a restaurant named Gucang opened in the plaza, and has become a new must-go spot for selfie addicts.
Compared with its counterparts, Gucang not only features avant-garde industrial design, beautiful dining environment and creative fusion dishes, but also has a spacious dining area of more than 1,300 square meters, which is rare in the plaza.
The restaurant has been popular with consumers since its opening.
Featuring a fabulous dining space and creative fusion dishes, the Gucang restaurant has been popular with customers since its opening.
Zhu Wen, a partner of the Gucang restaurant chain, said that the reason why he chose to open the restaurant in Jiading New City was that the mall enjoys a prime location. On the other hand, Jiading New City has great development potential.
He believes that population in Jiading New City will keep growing in the future with ever-improving purchasing power among the consumers.
"I hope that more diversified and creative food can be introduced in the future to satisfy the taste of 'new city residents,'" he said.
According to head of tenant recruitment and operation of Powerlong Plaza, Gucang is an epitome of the mall's effort in tenant mix adjustment, continuous reshuffle and improvement of brand influence in recent years.
In order to actively respond to market changes, the mall further refined its target group positioning, upgraded existing catering outlets, and introduced a number of well-known brands, aiming to win more consumers' favor.
Not only that, the "night economy" also seemed effective in boosting businesses at the plaza. With the introduction of of several brand name pubs and bistros, more consumers are attracted to enjoy their nightlife here.
"It's very lively and popular from morning till night," said a local resident surnamed Wang.
Wang said he could feel the vitality of the "new city" because of the changes and upgrades that have taken place in commercial complexes here in recent years.
At present, the number of customers visiting Jiading Powerlong Plaza has significantly increased compared with that before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. And there are more than a dozen stores with an average increase of more than 20 percent in daily foot traffic and monthly sales of more than 1 million yuan (US$143,200).
Clearer positioning with precision marketing
"With the continuous upgrading of the construction of Jiading New City, our neighborhood is also improving to better meet the development requirements of local residents and enterprises," said Jiang Lizhou, general manager of Shanghai Yiming Real Estate Co Ltd.
Jiang's company is the main operator of Xiyun Lou, an open-space, riverfront pedestrian mall in Jiading New City.
Jiang has worked and lived in Jiading New City for many years, and has deep feelings for the new city. He and his colleagues hope that as a low-density waterfront commercial complex with cultural characteristics, Xiyun Lou can inject more vitality into local development.
In Jiang's opinion, the most important task at present is to make the neighborhood grow rapidly. This requires their long-term efforts and persistence to meet the multiple needs of consumers, such as life services and social networking, and is also the key for businesses to develop accurate marketing strategies.
Along with the new round of development of Jiading New City, the positioning of Xiyun Lou for future growth has become clearer – finance, retail plus health and characteristic consumer services.
Along with the new round of development of Jiading New City, the positioning of Xiyun Lou for future growth focuses on finance, retail plus health and characteristic consumer services.
A French dessert shop has recently opened in Xiyun Lou, looking to achieve differentiated development.
Two new bank outlets are under construction at the intersection of Hongde Road and Yumin Road S. At present, a total of six bank outlets gather in the Xiyun Lou pedestrian mall together with a number of insurance, securities and other financial institutions.
"Financial institutions can not only meet the needs of residents, but also provide precise services for enterprises that will launch their businesses in the Jiading New City in the future," said Jiang.
He also noted that health and characteristic scenario shopping experience can better meet the diversified needs of consumers.
"We hope to achieve differentiated development, in particular to meet the consumption needs of young people," Jiang said.
To this end, Xiyun Lou's retail model focuses on boutique coffee shops and dessert stores. Chen Mengyao, a Shanghai native, learnt dessert and coffee making in Europe.
Last June, when she returned from overseas, she and her friends opened a French dessert shop in Xiyun Lou.
"I think the concepts of coffee and dessert fit well into the Shanghai style architectural features of Xiyun Lou, and anticipate a good development prospect in the future," Chen said.
Chen said the positioning of Xiyun Lou and its constant attraction to young people have prompted her to make the decision to open the shop.
Integration of sports and business
Nowadays it is not uncommon for sports to be found at commercial precinct, but it obviously requires a continuous effort to truly achieve the deep integration of sports and retail.
An indoor basketball court, ice rink, five-a-side football pitch... are now available or planned in Jiading IMIX Park in Malu Town to facilitate a new round of development.
"The basketball court, previously in the atrium of our mall, was very popular with young people," said Shen Chunyong, marketing director of Jiading IMIX Park. "Especially on weekends, many people come here to play and sweat."
Shen said the basketball court is a 3-to-3 event venue certified by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), which is the same quality as the CBA China Basketball League.
It once held activities, such as the "National Fitness Day" vitality carnival in Jiading District in 2022, and has become a must-go spot for many residents nearby.
However, this high standard basketball court has recently been moved to other areas in the mall, and it has been replaced by a panoramic theater-style ice rink.
A panoramic theater-style ice rink has recently opened to the public in the atrium of the Jiading IMIX Park in Malu Town.
"With the holding of the Beijing Winter Olympics and the popularity of ice and snow sports, more and more young people and children have fallen in love with ice and snow sports," said a local resident surnamed Tang, who took his children to experience skating in the ice rink, which has been opened to the public.
"The ice surface is very smooth, and the environment is also comfortable. I hope that more professional ice and snow sports venues will be built in the mall in the future, with professional coaches and equipment," he said.
In addition, a five-a-side football pitch meeting international standards will be built outside the mall.
"In Shanghai, there are not many malls with a high-quality basketball court, a football pitch and an ice rink at the same time, which will help with the mall's business amid continuously growing awareness of fitness among the general public," Shen said.
