Chongqing - On a summer evening in Chongqing's Guanyinqiao commercial area, young people dressed in cosplay costumes walked into a shopping mall unlike traditional department stores. Instead of rows of retail counters, they found dance spaces, photography studios, free makeup rooms, and IP-themed venues.
The venue, Chongqing Department Store's “Dream Factory,” China's first anime and comics-themed integrated commercial complex, has transformed more than 55 percent of its space into activity and experience areas. For visitors, the attraction lies not only in the products on offer but also in the cultural connections and shared experiences created around them.
The change reflects a broader shift in China's consumption landscape. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that China's service retail sales grew 5.3 percent year on year in the first half of the year, 4.2 percentage points higher than goods retail sales. Service consumption is becoming an important driver of domestic demand.
Chongqing is experiencing a similar trend. In the first half of the year, the city's tertiary sector accounted for 62 percent of GDP, with added value reaching 1.03 trillion yuan (about 144 billion U.S. dollars), making it a key contributor to economic growth.
As consumers increasingly seek experiences, cultural connections and quality services, Chongqing is transforming commercial spaces and urban landmarks from places for shopping into destinations for leisure and interaction.
From shelves to stages: traditional retail spaces reinvent themselves
The transformation of Chongqing Department Store's Jiangbei outlet shows how traditional retail spaces are adapting to new consumer demands. The former department store has removed conventional retail counters and introduced spaces for IP events, cosplay activities, photography, and entertainment.
Unlike traditional retail models that primarily rely on product sales, the project uses content and experiences to attract visitors and convert foot traffic into sales.
Another example is The Ring Chongqing in Liangjiang New Area. Its “Muguang Forest” area features a 42-meter vertical green wall, a 20-meter waterfall installation, and thousands of tropical plants, creating an immersive natural environment inside the shopping mall. A seven-meter aquarium with more than 5,000 ornamental fish also became a popular attraction after opening.
The Ring Chongqing shopping park, located in Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing. (Photo/The Ring Chongqing)
These examples show how Chongqing's commercial spaces are shifting from simple shopping venues to experience-driven destinations.
From passing through to staying longer: urban spaces embrace local culture
The transformation is also extending beyond commercial complexes to historic neighborhoods and urban landmarks.
At Daijiaxiang in Yuzhong district, once-overlooked cliffside streets have been revitalized into destinations that combine sightseeing, dining, and cultural experiences. Orange container-style cafes, riverside restaurants, and photography studios now line the cliffs, offering visitors new ways to enjoy Chongqing's unique landscape.
A resident surnamed Zhou said that in the past, people mainly visited Jiefangbei for shopping. Still, now they can spend an afternoon enjoying the scenery at Daijiaxiang before heading to nearby Shibati for food and cultural activities.
By making use of rivers, cliffs, alleys, caves and historic streets, Chongqing is turning its distinctive mountain-city landscape into new spaces for service consumption.
Visitors take photos at Shanchengxiang in Yuzhong District, Chongqing. (Photo/Chongqing Daily）
To sustain this momentum, Chongqing is upgrading its service sector, improving consumer services, cultivating local brands and promoting deeper integration of commerce, culture, tourism and sports.
Shopping malls are becoming interactive stages, while historic neighborhoods are turning into cultural destinations. As consumers increasingly pay for experiences and connections, Chongqing is transforming its commercial spaces and unique urban landscape into new engines of service consumption.
(Li Jiayan, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)