11 Classic Department Stores That Reinvented Themselves – Incredible Transformations You Have to See

The latest wave of revitalization in legacy department stores is nothing short of stunning. Shanghai’s New World Department Store has transformed into a “snack haven” for Gen Z; Chengdu’s Qun Guang Plaza has paired up with “Magical Anime Worlds” to create an immersive IP experience; Chongqing’s Zhongjiu Department Store opened the city’s first “Silver Generation” themed store; Xi’an Minsheng Department Store now offers “Daytime Coffee, Nighttime Cocktails”; and Guangzhou’s Friendship IFC introduced the city’s first in-town duty-free store.The “second spring” of traditional department stores doesn’t rely solely on renovations—it requires growing new value within existing structures. Glass facades, neon strips, and industrial-style streetscapes are merely surface-level. The true determinant of success lies in decoding local culture, deeply understanding target customer segments, and aligning the core principle of “space as content” with action.Next, we’ll explore 11 case studies to showcase how legacy department stores are evolving collectively, leveraging new narratives to achieve seemingly impossible transformations in a highly competitive retail landscape.Thematic Transformations: Creating New Retail Species.Anime & IP-Themed Retail – Shanghai Paris Spring Yuehui Tianshan:Shanghai’s New World Department Store has launched the city’s first “LOL Snack Haven,” focusing on a lifestyle philosophy of “youthful, vibrant, and refined.” The “LOL Multi-Creation Space” utilizes existing floor space to integrate cross-industry brand collaborations, providing Gen Z consumers with a unique venue to unleash creativity and express themselves.

Notably, the Paris Spring Shanghai Huaihai store operates with an “IP co-creation” model, partnering with the designer toy brand DOUBLE CHANCE to launch pop-up experiences featuring Saint Seiya and Blue Prison themes. It also offers DIY toy workshops, fan meet-ups, and other interactive events. Monthly member days and cross-industry marketing campaigns further cement Huaihai Road’s position as a “hub for creative inspiration.”Chengdu Qun Guang Plaza – Partnering with “Magical Anime Worlds” to Build an Anime IP Hub:Covering over 100,000 square meters, Chengdu Qun Guang Plaza was once the city’s largest single-structure department store spanning multiple floors. On July 9 this year, it unveiled its revamped Magical Anime Worlds IP hub. The initial renovation covers the first, second, and B1 floors, totaling approximately 9,000 square meters, with plans to expand to B2, injecting ACG-themed vibrancy into a prime urban location.Magical Anime Worlds introduced 14 IP brands for this renovation, four of which are “China’s first store.” The project now features 20 stores combining self-operated and joint-operated brands, offering a full range of merchandise from limited-edition figures to custom-designed cakes, featuring popular IPs like One Piece, Detective Conan, Hatsune Miku, Pokémon, and Chibi Maruko-chan.To synergize with existing luxury beauty and jewelry offerings, the operators optimized traffic flow, managed community engagement, and created linked experiential spaces. This approach allows anime fans and traditional shoppers to complement each other, ensuring a symbiotic relationship between the department store’s upscale upper floors and its anime-themed underground space.

Xi’an Minsheng Department Store Luomashi Shopping Center – Introducing Top Anime & Gaming IPs to Create a New 2D Consumer Landmark.On July 11, Star Yue MALL (formerly Minsheng Department Store Luomashi Shopping Center) on East Street in Xi’an officially reopened after a major renovation. Over more than five months of transformation, Star Yue MALL completed a 16,000-square-meter space upgrade through facade improvements, scene redesigns, and integrated IP concepts. The renovation successfully introduced over 40 specialty brands and attracted several top-tier anime and gaming IPs, establishing a diversified consumer ecosystem that includes anime-themed dining, licensed collectibles, snack shops, and pet cafés.The revamped Star Yue MALL follows a “consumer-centered” service philosophy, featuring anime shared spaces, dance practice rooms equipped with custom audio systems, themed check-in areas, and other distinctive zones. These tailored spaces fully cater to the personalized needs of target customer segments, enhancing user engagement and solidifying its status as a “benchmark IP hub for urban anime culture.”Silver Generation-Themed Retail – Chongqing Zhongbai Jiulong Shopping Mall: Tapping into the “Silver Age+” Market.On June 28, the 30-year-old Chongqing Zhongbai Jiulong Shopping Mall reopened after a comprehensive renovation, transforming into “Chongqing’s first Silver Generation-themed store.” On opening day, sales reached 805,600 RMB, marking a year-on-year increase of over 300%.

Sales of gold and jewelry surged 664.84%, women’s apparel rose 173.15%, and foot traffic increased by 52%.The mall’s redesign focused on the “Silver Age+” concept, restructuring floors 2 through 6. The exterior now features a bold, stylish “Le Ling Hui” signage, while the interior blends nostalgic elements with senior-friendly functionality. Highlights include:6th Floor – Senior Academy: Integrates vocal, dance, and calligraphy classrooms with senior-friendly living experience zones and a social hub, allowing older visitors to learn, socialize, and explore health technologies while shopping.The upgrade follows the principles of differentiation, exclusivity, and simplicity to elevate the shopping experience for the silver-generation demographic. Membership benefits now include free health check-ups, academy trial classes, and dining discounts. Navigation systems feature larger fonts, additional handrails, and emergency call buttons. Rest areas and restrooms are fully accessible, complemented by pop-up health lectures and nostalgia-themed exhibitions.By transforming from a “memory carrier” to a “curator of senior lifestyles,” the mall has created a “second-life headquarters” for Chongqing’s aging population, redefining their urban shopping experience.

Cultural-Themed Retail – Chongqing Zhongbai Building: Upgrading as a “Curator of Urban Civilization”Zhongbai Building announced its comprehensive 2025 renovation with the “Zhongbai Dragon Gate Talk” press conference, repositioning itself from a traditional shopping center to a “social media-famous commercial landmark” and further as a “Curator of Urban Civilization.”The renovation logic starts with spatial storytelling. The exterior now features a 3D fantasy wall and an escalator confession wall, while floors 2 through 10 form a panoramic check-in matrix connected to Jiefangbei. The 12th floor’s “Time Tower” uses three-dimensional art installations to preserve a century of Chongqing’s urban memory, making the building itself a walkable mini urban museum.In July, Chongqing’s oldest traditional tea house was relocated to the rooftop 12th floor. Original wooden structures and antique tea jars from the state-operated era were preserved, combined with immersive performances and cultural retail. This transforms the authentic local vibe into a cross-generational social lounge through a creative fold of space and time.By October, floors 2 to 10 will see a thematic restroom renovation. Each floor will feature unique concepts—technology, illustrated storybooks, and audiovisual installations—turning previously overlooked functional corners into emotionally engaging check-in spots.

Even casual photos taken there can go viral.Beijing Xidan Mall – Rooted in Local Culture, Creating the “Xidan Memory 1930” Cultural District.At the end of 2024, Beijing Xidan Mall pressed pause for a 36-month full-scale renovation, scheduled for completion by December 2027. The project respects the cultural context of Xidan, maintaining the “Xidan Mall” heritage signage while transforming its core into an “Urban New Life Attraction”, offering a fresh perspective on heritage and development.Targeting young and middle-aged consumers aged 22–55, the 65,000-square-meter mall will reorganize its offerings around two main pillars: quality lifestyle and fitness & wellness. The south building and east annex will be integrated, main entrances strengthened, pedestrian flow optimized, and street-facing facades unified. Upgraded corridors along Xidan Commercial Street will turn the second floor into a “new first floor”, with street-level stores reserved for flagship brand showcases.The basement level will feature the “Xidan Memory 1930” cultural district, integrating live art performances, local storytelling, and Beijing-style ambiance into vintage-inspired scenes, letting the old Xidan history flow anew amidst neon lights and blue bricks. By synchronously renovating the architecture, corridors, and retail offerings, the Xidan Mall returning in three years will be more than just a shopping destination—it will become a cultural time-space hub for Beijing.

New Scene Combinations Propose a Better Life – Beijing Shuang’an Mall:Beijing Shuang’an Mall is undergoing its largest-scale renovation since opening, after more than 10 months of work, and is set to officially reopen in August. The renovation covers 15,000 square meters, accounting for 70% of the total operating area.159 counters have been fully upgraded.Nearly 30% of brands are new, spanning beauty, fashion, home goods, and dining.About 65% of brands have been relocated within the mall.The exterior renovation uses glass and ceramic panels to enhance transparency and three-dimensional appeal. The fifth-floor dining area includes scenic seating, offering panoramic views of Beijing streets. Entrances and first-floor display windows have been revamped, with ambient lighting for night-time visual appeal.The tenant mix has been upgraded from a “refined department store” to a “quality lifestyle experience destination”, introducing family-friendly projects, fitness & sports zones, and outdoor goods concept stores.Dining is a key focus: the mall now features the national first stores of Xihe Xiaoju and Xixi Shacha Lu Zhu, as well as Beijing’s first branches of Dawan Xiang Meat Soup Rice and Shanshi Bakery, boosting overall foot traffic by 30%.On the fifth floor, a plant aesthetics space showcases skeleton specimens, designer crafts, and more. The rooftop Sky Garden creates high-value consumption scenarios, hosting cultural and entertainment activities to increase restaurant traffic and dwell time on the fifth floor.

Looking ahead, Shuang’an Mall will regularly introduce themed pop-ups, creating immersive interactive experiences and continuously cultivating vibrant, next-generation retail scenarios.Beijing Friendship Store – Embedding “Chill” into Its DNA, Becoming a Social Media Hotspot:This year, Beijing Friendship Store completed a new round of renovations, fully embedding “chill” into its brand DNA. Managed by Wangfujing Group, the mall is now positioned as a “City Collection · Commercial Lifestyle Art Center”, featuring garden-style green ecological courtyards.The third-floor “Super Spin” store opened for trial operation nationwide.Friendship Garden is already a social media sensation: weekday outdoor seating for Carbo handmade pasta and Tieshou Coffee is fully booked.In the near future, the fourth floor will host a youth hostel, medical aesthetics center, health check center, and dental clinic. The inner courtyard will feature a curatorial center, Michelin garden restaurant, florist tea house, courtyard bar, art bookstore, and trendy toy stores. Fashion shows, music festivals, car exhibitions, and wedding expos will rotate to keep the venue lively and engaging.Xi’an Minsheng Department Store – Creating a 24-Hour “Sleepless” District, Becoming a Core Magnet for Youth Nightlife:Xi’an Minsheng Department Store on Jiefang Road is undergoing a comprehensive renovation to become Minsheng · JF103, positioning itself as a “Future Trend Lifestyle Center”, aiming to anchor youth night-time activities and establish a round-the-clock vibrant urban district.

The project abandons the traditional “big and all-encompassing” department store model, instead creating Xi’an’s first 24-hour “Dual Ground-Floor Street Mall.”Floors 1 to 3 are fully interconnected, forming an open street-style circulation.By day, the space operates as a dining and social marketplace.By night, it transforms into an immersive playground with electronic music, KTV, and escape rooms.The exterior façade and interior public areas were upgraded simultaneously. Transparent glass and neon strips interweave to create a trendy texture, while elevators and corridors have been converted into photo-ready pathways, offering natural backdrops for social media sharing.During the leasing phase, the team used Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) and Douyin as real-time surveys, incorporating user co-creation directly into the construction plans, ensuring that the brand mix and spatial details matched local tastes.

Hangzhou Wulin Intime Department Store – First Concentration of Trendy Brands, Reviving Youthful Energy in Wulin Business District:On December 21, 2024, the fourth floor of C Building at Hangzhou Wulin Intime Department Store officially opened its new trend street zone, showcasing over 20 high-profile first-store brands, instantly injecting youthful energy into the Wulin commercial district.The street zone features an industrial-style base, with metal and neon accents, providing ample space for pop-ups and interactive photo opportunities.The lineup includes Lafayette, Applebum, Supplier, Seveskig, and Subciety, mainly Japanese and Korean brands, with over 80% being national first stores, raising Hangzhou’s trend retail ceiling.Positioned as a “global first-release hub”, the street zone will regularly feature collaboration items, celebrity-endorsed products, and city-exclusive releases, continuously signaling fashion trends to young consumers in Hangzhou.

Guangzhou Friendship IFC Store – Introducing the City’s First In-City Duty-Free Store, Creating a “Shopping-as-Travel” Experience:In May 2025, Guangzhou Friendship IFC Store officially launched the “Huanxing Duty-Free, Guangzhou First Stop” banner, becoming the city’s first in-city duty-free store.The first-floor construction hoarding features co-branded signage by China Duty-Free and Friendship Store, with icons for liquor, cosmetics, and electronics, signaling that these products and Lingnan souvenirs will soon be packaged into a composite “shopping-as-travel” experience.Other floors are also undergoing tenant adjustments and upgrades to prepare the space and circulation for the upcoming in-city duty-free operations.Under the continuous impact of e-commerce and rapidly changing market consumption trends, traditional department stores now stand at a pivotal crossroads of transformation.Zhong Lianjun, Head of Commercial Consulting at CBRE China Strategic Advisory, points out that the core competitiveness of offline retail has shifted from simply selling products to competing in experiences and scene creation.

The old operating model, focused solely on merchandise, can no longer satisfy consumers’ demand for immersive experiences, which represents the biggest challenge for traditional department stores.Zhong believes that department store transformation is not limited to a single path:Complete overhaul into shopping centers or outlet malls, orRefined optimization within the existing model to target more specific market niches.Additionally, duty-free operations, as an emerging approach, provide new opportunities for transformation, allowing department stores to explore blue ocean spaces within existing urban competition.From Beijing Shuang’an’s 70% area renovation, Xi’an Minsheng’s 24-hour nightlife, Shanghai New World’s dining-focused “LOL playground”, to Guangzhou Friendship’s duty-free experiments, these cases show that the “second spring” of existing retail is not merely cosmetic renovation, but requires a deep, inside-out transformation.At the core of this transformation is the in-depth decoding of local culture and precise insight into target customer needs. Only by truly understanding and satisfying consumers’ pursuit of experience, social interaction, and cultural value can department stores redefine their positioning in a fiercely competitive market.