What: Hotel turned shopping mall, JC Plaza has moved in across the street from rival retail location Plaza 66 with an aim of differentiating by offering new luxury labels and local brands favoured by GenZ.

Why it is important: The 215,000 square foot, five-story retail location is Chinese developer Baohua Group’s first shopping mall project.

Across the street is fierce competition, the Plaza 66 flagship mall of Hang Lung Properties which has been established as the most important luxury retail mall in Shanghai for over 20 years. JC Plaza sees the competition as being built around LVMH and French luxury houses which have guided their goal to become a “home to Italian luxury brands.”

Additionally, JC Plaza emphasizes its “exquisite Shanghai lifestyle” positioning by offering local Chinese designer brands in a shopping mall context as well as new names. The department store also houses Michelin-star hotel Moose, which serves local Huaiyang cuisine.

JC Plaza opens in downtown Shanghai