On a sunny afternoon, people relax in a camp site recreation area, while others go head-to-head in a game of table tennis. You would be forgiven for thinking this is a holiday destination, when in fact it's a bustling shopping mall in downtown Beijing.

The scene, at Hanguang Department Store in Xidan commercial district, represents a broader dynamic across China's retail industry, with old brand shopping malls now offering urban dwellers a fresh take on respite.

In 2024, China's total retail sales of consumer goods neared 48.79 trillion yuan (about 6.79 trillion U.S. dollars), an increase of 3.5 percent over the previous year. However, retail sales by department stores declined, spurring many to make adjustments.

For today's consumers, shopping is more than retail therapy. It must also satisfy the public's growing need for social interaction and experience. Such a phenomenon, together with the brunt of online shopping, has inspired more and more retailers to adapt to the changing trend and stimulate consumption.

For its part, Hanguang Department Store has undergone a facelift last year, with a leisure venue forged that now attracts more people to visit and open their wallets.

To improve its previously stuffy interior, two patios were transformed into an open-air courtyard, where ping-pong tables and rackets are available to the public.

General manager Pu Jiajia said that after the revamp, business areas became smaller, but public channels grew, bringing customers a better shopping experience. "After the transformation, our sales have increased by about 5 percent."

In March, China issued a special action plan to boost consumption, proposing to "actively develop smart business areas and immersive experience spaces, while promoting the transformation of brick-and-mortar stores into new commercial places."

Now many traditional department stores have taken on a new look with dazzling bazaars, outdoor concerts and art exhibitions.

A Beijing resident surnamed Fang, a mother of a primary school girl, takes her daughter to Chang'an Shopping Mall, a department store located about 3 kilometers away from Xidan, every Saturday morning.

The newly upgraded shopping mall near Fang's home is now a regular destination for her family at weekends. "My daughter attends Chinese calligraphy and roller skating classes, while I like to kill time by exploring the bookstores, bazaars and cafés," Fang said.

Shi Shufeng, assistant general manager of the shopping mall, stated that since initiating the transformation project in 2019, the mall has introduced experience-oriented services including education and wellness programs, bazaars and pet cafés.

Moreover, the commercial complex expanded its dining and lifestyle services, and recorded an influx of nearly 18,000 visitors per day in 2024, up 70 percent compared to 2018.

Yi Shaohua, a research fellow at the National Academy of Economic Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that the transformation of traditional department stores is a mainstream trend.

"Shopping malls used to be places to sell goods, but now they focus more on services," Yi suggested.

Wang Ning, an executive president of the Business School, Zhengzhou University, suggested that the transformation of traditional shopping malls should focus on the needs of consumers, while diversifying their goods options and improving their services.

In catering to the appetite of young consumers, especially Generation Z and younger people, some retailers have made forays into the animation, comic and game (ACG) arena.

At a rebuilt shopping center in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, an area on the first floor is a dedicated space for anime expos. ACG merchandise such as badges, acrylic figure stands and cards fly quickly off the shelves, while cosplayers mill about.

Miss Liu, a college student and cosplay enthusiast, said she found a new way to chill out from the pressures of her studies and has made new friends with the same interests as her in the cosplay parade.

She added that a trip to the mall now often starts with playing games, before scouting out the food offerings, and then a stroll through the mall, one floor after another.

"I would say going shopping today feels more like an adventure rather than tedium," the young shopper said. 

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