The Bailian Outlets Plaza in Shanghai's Qingpu district, which ranked first in sales among China's outlet plazas in the first seven months of this year, is on track to become the largest outlet plaza in Asia once its second phase is completed in 2026.

Currently under construction, the second phase will add 100 new stores and 2,500 parking spaces, and will be connected to the first phase by two cross-river bridges.

Upon completion, the combined floor area of both phases will reach 200,000 square meters, with annual sales projected to exceed 7 billion yuan ($975 million).

Beyond Qingpu, Bailian Outlets, a leader in China's outlet sector, also saw growth in both sales and customer traffic at its other eight outlets nationwide.

Its newer stores, such as the one in Jinan, capital of Shandong province, recorded a more than 50 percent increase in consumer traffic.

Part of this success stems from Bailian's efforts to foster the "debut economy".

Anta introduced an outlet-exclusive edition of NBA star Kyrie Irving's signature basketball shoes at four Bailian Outlets, including the Qingpu Plaza.

Niche outdoor brand Acmeitem also chose Qingpu for its first-ever outlet store in China.

These efforts helped overturn the stereotype that "outlets never carry new arrivals".

Bailian has further supported brands with a multimillion-yuan fund for promotional events. From January to July, the fund facilitated 98 marketing campaigns for 25 brands, driving sales up by 19 percent.

At the Qingpu outlet alone, Adidas reported sales growth of more than 50 percent within two months of its reopening.

According to the China Commerce Association for General Merchandise, by the end of 2024, China had 251 outlets in operation nationwide, including 12 newly opened ones. Total annual sales reached approximately 239 billion yuan, a 4 percent increase from 2023.

Sources: Jiefang Daily, Qingpu district government