Amid economic volatility, China’s retail market is being reshaped—not only by what consumers buy, but by how they choose to live, spend and express themselves. Savills has released its latest annual China research, Retail Trends 2026, which highlights eight structural shifts redefining the consumer landscape and creating new opportunities for brands, landlords and commercial spaces.

The trends at a glance:

Self-care – Wellness has expanded beyond sportswear into broader physical and mental wellbeing, including massage, therapy and meditation. Wellness tenants accounted for 11.3% of shopping centre openings.

Small luxury – Gold jewellery, fragrances and designer toys provide emotional satisfaction at relatively accessible price points. Space occupied by these tenants grew 4% in 2025.

Smart value – Hard-discount models built around direct sourcing and private labels are gaining traction. Large-format discounters can act as effective anchors for malls facing traffic pressure.

Creative ground – Sports, electronics and lifestyle brands now account for 16% of new leases, surpassing traditional fashion tenants for the first time.

Digital to physical – Online-native brands are opening immersive flagship stores, with a stronger focus on brand building and customer engagement rather than pure sales.

Destination stores – Luxury and sports brands are closing underperforming outlets while investing in landmark flagships designed to function as urban icons.

Local sparks – Smaller retail schemes are succeeding through curated tenant mixes, community engagement and flexible spaces, creating distinctive neighbourhood destinations.

Built to adapt – The next generation of retail spaces will combine stable long-term tenants with pop-ups and rotating concepts to keep content fresh and relevant.