As the 2025 Shanghai Shopping Festival — which began on May 1 and runs through to June — gets into full swing, the city's debut economy is once again in the spotlight.

California-based international running shoe and apparel brand HOKA opened its first-ever global brand experience center on May 7 in Shanghai's popular Xintiandi area.

Spanning over 1,200 square meters and three floors, the newly opened HOKA flagship store showcases limited-edition China collections, exclusive collaborations and professional sports gear.

A standout feature of the store is the FlyLab, China's first integrated fitness testing space equipped with six leading international systems.

Shanghai's debut economy is widely said to have become a key driver in building the city into an international retail sales hub.

Since 2018, more than 7,300 first stores have opened in the city, with nearly 18 percent being national, Asia, or global firsts. In 2024 alone, 1,269 new first stores were launched, up by 54 on the previous year.

That momentum is continuing in the current year. In the first quarter, Shanghai added 173 new first stores — including seven global or Asia firsts and 33 national or Chinese mainland firsts. High-level stores accounted for 23.1 percent of the total, exceeding the same period last year.

Brands came from countries and regions including China, Italy, Japan, France, the United States and more — highlighting Shanghai's strong appeal to top global brands and its position as a prime destination for major flagship launches.

Sources: Shanghai Observer, official WeChat account of the publicity department of the CPC Huangpu district committee at "shhuangpu"