Pudong New Year events show first-store economy vitality

The Pudong New Area, located in East China's Shanghai city, held an opening ceremony on Dec 16, welcoming the shopping season for the upcoming New Year.

The shopping season will run from December 2022 to February 2023 and hold about 118 special events for business, tourism and culture.

Diverse marketing campaign activities will combine commercial consumption with culture, art, leisure, entertainment, public welfare and lifestyles.

Business districts in Pudong will add new ideas to previous familiar programs. The Shanghai No.1 Yaohan Mall, for example, will integrate metaverse and NFT concepts into its carnival to show new ways of doing retail business.

Light shows and art exhibitions will dazzle visitors at major commercial landmarks, lighting up the city with art. MIFA 1862, the Walt Disney Grand Theater and the Shanghai Oriental Art Center will stage a raft of New Year shows.

In addition, diverse and colorful events will showcase the vitality of the first-store economy. This will allow areas to market their unique resources to attract domestic and foreign brands to open a first store there.

The increasing arrival of first stores is stimulating new energy in consumer spending. In October, total retail sales in Pudong amounted to 33.6 billion yuan ($4.81 billion), up 1.8 percent year-on-year.