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Why China’s Outlet Mall Boom Is More Than a Pandemic Blip

Sales at outlet malls in China surged last year, fuelling a domestic market that is likely to present both opportunities and new challenges to Western players.

Shoppers at Shanghai Village. Value Retail.

By

Casey Hall

10 August 2021

BoF PROFESSIONAL

Before the pandemic, discount shopping hubs like the UK’s Bicester Village and McArthurGlen Serravalle in Italy were major draws for China’s more than 150 million annual international travellers. But stuck on the mainland over the last 18 months, many of those shoppers have started discovering outlet malls on their own turf.

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