Shanghai unveils 2026 plan to upgrade consumption and services

Shanghai has released its 2026 action plan to strengthen its position as an international consumption center, outlining measures to expand retail, culture, tourism, and sports consumption, while improving service quality and the overall consumer environment.

Upgrading the debut economy

A key focus of the plan is the continued development of Shanghai's debut economy. Under the updated "First in Shanghai" 4.0 policy, the city will support shopping centers, pedestrian streets, shopping areas, and cultural and creative parks in hosting high-level product launches, exhibition debuts, and showcase events.

Shanghai will also encourage the clustering of domestic and international brands through the opening of first stores and flagship stores, including global and Asian debuts. It will further support exhibitors in staging global launch events during major consumer goods exhibitions.

The city has already seen steady growth in this area. In the first two months of 2026, 128 first stores opened across Shanghai, many of which feature immersive, experience-driven retail formats rather than traditional store layouts. For instance, on April 5, skincare brand Eve Lom launched its global concept store at Grand Gateway 66, featuring a garden-inspired environment designed to provide a relaxed consumer experience.

Since 2018, when Shanghai began its push to become a global hub for product debuts, the city has attracted a total of 8,472 first stores, including 1,093 opened in 2025. High-end brands accounted for 16.8 percent of new openings.

Further flagship store openings are planned this year. These include Unitree Robotics' first humanoid robot experience center in Asia, set to open at Jiuguang Department Store in Jing'an district in late May. German retailer Muller will open its first Asian store in Shanghai, while Swiss watchmaker Carl F. Bucherer will open its first store in China in the city later this year.

Expanding culture and tourism consumption

Shanghai will expand the supply of cultural performances, including concerts, music festivals, and theatrical productions, while developing more immersive and interactive formats.

The action plan calls for further enhancement of major exhibitions at museums and cultural institutions, alongside continued improvements in facilities, collections, and curatorial standards. The city will also advance the planning and construction of large-scale cultural and sports venues, including new sites for outdoor music festivals.

Leveraging sports events for consumption

Shanghai will continue to leverage major international sporting events, including the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, the Shanghai Masters ATP 1000, the Longines Global Champions Tour Shanghai, the World Snooker Shanghai Masters, the Shanghai Marathon, and the Head of Shanghai River Regatta.

Shopping centers will be encouraged to establish secondary viewing areas for live broadcasts. Event organizers will also be encouraged to work with commercial partners to offer promotions and discounts to spectators and consumers.

Advancing duty-free shopping and tax refund services

The city will expand its "refund-upon-purchase" tax refund service and increase the deployment of smart terminals for departure tax refunds. The trial scope of its online tax refund platform will also be broadened.

Shanghai will support high-quality domestic brands in entering duty-free channels and accelerate the development of inbound duty-free shops at the Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal.

Key shopping areas such as Lujiazui and East Nanjing Road, along with emerging locations including the Qiantan area and the West Bund, will be upgraded to improve visitor convenience. Enhancements will include wider international payment acceptance and expanded services on the Easy Go digital platform, which integrates dining, transport, attraction information, ticket booking, shopping, and instant tax refunds for international visitors.

Building 'Shanghai Style' customization clusters

Shanghai Style is a city-led initiative encouraging brands to incorporate local cultural elements into limited-edition collaborations and offer Shanghai-exclusive customized services.

The city will establish industry standards for customized services, focusing on sectors such as apparel, gold jewelry, and watches. It will also launch a series of branded events, including the Shanghai Fashion Couture and Tailoring Festival, while promoting closer integration between customization services and major performances, sporting events, and cultural festivals.

Rolling out year-round consumption campaigns

Shanghai will continue to organize a series of consumption campaigns throughout the year. Key events include the First in Shanghai series, the seventh Shanghai Shopping Festival, the Shanghai Summer International Consumption Season, the Shanghai Tourism Festival, the Shanghai International Light Festival, a consumption carnival linked to the China International Import Expo, and year-end shopping activities across major shopping areas.

Promoting global food culture

The city is hosting the Global Taste in Shanghai campaign to strengthen its position as an international food destination.

This year-long campaign will feature quarterly themes covering European, Asian, and the various cuisines of the Americas, as well as fusion, alongside monthly country- and region-specific events. New consumption scenarios that integrate dining with related sectors such as spices, tableware, and ingredients will also be developed.

A global food guide and a points-based handbook will be introduced, offering rewards and tourism-related benefits.

Enhancing the consumer environment

Shanghai aims to further improve the consumer environment by building a more internationally friendly city. Multilingual signage and guidance will be expanded across major public venues, and foreign language services will be strengthened in key service sectors.

The city will also extend policies such as seven-day no-reason returns for offline purchases and cross-store or cross-location returns and exchanges across the Yangtze River Delta region, while exploring advance compensation mechanisms in selected industries and major retail areas.