China’s Outlets Store Leader” Opens Two New Locations – What’s New?

China’s Outlet Industry Enters New Growth Cycle.According to data from the China Department Store Commercial Association, the national outlet sales in 2024 reached 239 billion RMB, growing by 4.5% year-on-year; in 2023, the sales were 230 billion RMB, with a growth of 9.5%; and in 2022, the sales were 220 billion RMB, growing by 11%. These figures signal two things: First, outlets continue to show healthy growth, demonstrating significant vitality even amid a slowing economy and cautious consumer behavior. Second, the growth rate of China’s outlets is gradually slowing, moving from scale-driven expansion to a new growth cycle centered around quality upgrades.Facing the industry’s adjustment, leading enterprises have been making forward-thinking decisions to upgrade their strategies. In recent years, Chinese outlet chains, including Bailian, Wangfujing, Florence Town, and Shouchuang Juda, have generally slowed their expansion. Even Fufeng, which still maintains high-speed growth and was ranked number one in the “China Outlet Chain Number” list in 2024, has shifted its strategy toward upgrading to a “quality outlet.”In September, Fufeng Commercial opened two new outlets in Wuhan and Changsha, two major cities in central China. This expansion brought the total number of outlets in its nationwide portfolio to 22, further cementing its position as the “king of quantity.”

It also highlighted its “quality outlet” upgrade strategy, showcasing its ability to continue breaking new ground while building on its existing advantages, maintaining steady upward growth, and solidifying its reputation as a market leader.Wuhan’s Fufeng Outlets: Central China’s First Lakeside Outlet.Fufeng Outlets continues to innovate. Last year, the Dalian Fufeng Outlets turned the “seaside outlet” concept into reality, making it a new trend in Dalian with its combination of football and outlet shopping. This year, the Wuhan Fufeng Outlets, which opened on September 25, created the first “lakeside outlet” within the Fufeng system. The outlet integrates the “commercial + ecology + cultural tourism” model to push Wuhan toward becoming an international consumer hub.The Wuhan Fufeng Outlets integrates natural lakeside landscapes, leisure attributes, and an ecological atmosphere into the commercial space, creating a differentiated experience of “shopping with a lakeside view” and “shopping equals a mini-vacation.” The unique layout features an indoor mall and an outdoor shopping street, ensuring compact commercial space and convenient shopping while fostering a relaxing vacation-like ambiance. The second floor’s open lakeside platform, combined with lakeside-themed dining, offers a “chill” lifestyle experience. In the future, the outlet will host periodic “lakeside theme events” to become an “organizer of lakeside leisure.”

With a commercial space of 130,000 square meters, the Wuhan Fufeng Outlets houses more than 300 international and domestic brands, including premium luxury, sports, and trendy fashion. It also boasts over 50 first-ever outlets in Wuhan and 30 flagship stores. As a key project for Wuhan’s 2024 Spring Investment and one of the city’s major initiatives, it is defined by the Wuhan Economic Development Zone as “Central China’s first lakeside outlet, a large new commercial complex in the Greater Hanyang Area, and a new commercial landmark in Jiangcheng.”Changsha Fufeng Outlets: The First to Combine Exhibition Economy with Outlets.On September 26, the Changsha Fufeng Outlets opened, marking a groundbreaking combination of “Exhibition Economy + Outlets” in China. Located in the Changsha High-Speed Rail Exhibition Area, adjacent to the Changsha International Exhibition Center and High-Speed South Station, the Changsha Fufeng Outlets uniquely extends its customer base to include exhibition business professionals and high-speed rail passengers.Compared to other outlets in Changsha, this outlet leverages exhibition traffic to activate consumer spending. It also provides supplementary services to exhibitions, turning commercial space into an extension of the exhibition economy. For example, during major exhibition periods, the Changsha Fufeng Outlets will provide free shuttle buses between the outlet and exhibition venues, offering solutions to exhibition-goers’ “eating, traveling, shopping, and resting” needs.

Continuing with the city’s micro-vacation concept, the outlet uses a “box + street” layout and innovatively introduces a modern, multi-story “parking tower,” which houses 2,000+ parking spaces, connected to the shopping mall via walkways. Notably, the “33 Li Alley” theme street, designed between the two exhibition halls, blends local culture with urban living ideals, offering a relaxed shopping experience mixed with everyday life.With over 300 international and domestic brands, including 40+ first-ever stores in Hunan, the Changsha Fufeng Outlets brings a premium lifestyle experience to the region. It is a key commercial addition to the Changsha Exhibition New City area and will be a significant force in promoting the exhibition economy and outlet consumption.The Speed and Efficiency of Fufeng Outlets.Fufeng Outlets’ ability to execute efficiently is evident from the impressive speed at which it completed these projects. From ground-breaking to opening, both Wuhan and Changsha took only 13 months and 15 months, respectively, a testament to the company’s “Fufeng speed.” This rapid pace demonstrates Fufeng’s solid ability to deliver results, and all 22 of its outlets show a common characteristic—high-quality brands and upgraded consumer experiences.Looking at past outlets such as Xuzhou, Nanning, and Shenzhen Fufeng Outlets, which opened during the pandemic in 2022, the performance has been outstanding.

These outlets excelled in customer traffic and sales, with brands like Shark Bags, MLB, and Nike performing exceptionally well. In 2025, Xuzhou Fufeng Outlets is projected to see sales grow by 48%, while Nanning Fufeng Outlets is expanding in both traffic and sales.Shenzhen Fufeng Outlets, which introduced luxury brands to Southern China, has seen a continuous 30%+ growth in sales and traffic over three years. Through a mix of cultural and commercial activities, like drone light shows and traditional PR campaigns, it has built strong emotional connections with consumers, outpacing competitors.In 2025, Fufeng Outlets will continue to transform outlets from the traditional “name brands + discounts” model to a more diverse, multi-ecological concept, providing a seamless integration of shopping and leisure.Future Prospects.Fufeng Commercial is shifting from scaling up its outlets to emphasizing quality and experiential upgrades. By leveraging innovation, streamlined operations, and customer-centered design, the company is well on track to sustain its leadership in the outlet industry and push forward the broader retail sector’s transformation toward a “quality outlet” ecosystem.In conclusion, with its ongoing commitment to “quality outlets,” Fufeng Commercial is poised to lead the transformation of China’s outlet business, reinforcing its status as an industry leader and continuing to exceed expectations through innovation and excellence.