上海这条1.5公里的小马路，何以迎来奢侈品牌集体爆发？

Urban Renewal: Shanghai’s Practice and Innovation

Authored and edited by the Shanghai Industrial Transformation and Development Research Institute and published by Tongji University Press, the book Urban Renewal: Shanghai’s Practice and Innovation analyzes from multiple dimensions—economy, industry, city, society, enterprise, culture, consumption, and citizens—what kind of urban renewal is truly needed for economic and social development, what kind of projects resonate with the public, what kind of input-output is sustainable, and what new cases, perspectives, and trends are emerging in urban renewal. How can it achieve both social and economic value, while also giving citizens a sense of fulfillment and ensuring sustainability? These are the book’s core focus and entry points, aiming to provide readers with fresh perspectives, channels, and methods for observing and understanding urban development, while offering peers, institutions, and enterprises engaged in urban renewal theoretical reflections rooted in practice, methodological innovations, and case references.

Welcome to Order

Contact: Teacher Sun 13611942688
Teacher Qin 15921998880

Landline: 021-64676547

—— Main text: 3,999 words, estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Last autumn, beneath the plane trees of Shanghai, the scenery quietly transformed.

In October, Longchamp opened the world’s first “La Maison de Famille Longchamp” at 12 Wukang Road, converting a modernist villa into a home filled with French lifestyle charm.

Below: On October 28, 2025, La Maison de Famille Longchamp was unveiled in Shanghai’s Hengfu Historical and Cultural Area. This nearly 200-square-meter standalone villa at 12 Wukang Road became the brand’s first independent experience space globally. (Source: Brandstar, Xiongnu0616)

And that was just the beginning.

Entering 2026, this 1.5-kilometer-long Shanghai street saw an explosive influx of luxury brands:

• In January, Louis Vuitton transformed a century-old Spanish-style villa at 1 Lane 40, Wukang Road into the “Louis Vuitton Hotel” pop-up space, celebrating the 130th anniversary of the Monogram canvas.
• During the same period, Fendi set up a 2026 New Year pop-up experience at 286 Wukang Road, its purple sequin facade becoming a street focal point.
• On January 11, Lemaire opened its largest global flagship store at 2 Lane 40, Wukang Road, housed in a 1930s villa designed by Dong Dayou.
• From April 25 to May 24, Chanel took over the same villa to launch the COCO BEACH 2026 collection pop-up boutique, creating a South French seaside vacation scene.

Add to that the earlier arrival of Le Labo’s first street-side store in mainland China, and Wukang Road has transformed from a once “trendy check-in spot” into a “new showcase stage” for top global luxury brands.

So, why have luxury brands, once perched in top-tier malls like Plaza 66 and IFC, suddenly “stepped out” en masse, favoring these open, everyday street blocks?

I. From “Closed Box” to “Living Theater”: The Luxury Brand Narrative Revolution

To answer this, we must first understand: brands setting up on Wukang Road versus traditional malls are fundamentally different business logics.

Spatial Nature: Closed Consumption Box vs. Open Living Theater

A traditional luxury mall is a “closed box” tailored for consumption.

Top commercial zones like Plaza 66 and IFC offer mature commercial facilities and authoritative status symbols, but standardized store layouts and uniform decoration styles easily trap brands in a homogenous elite trap. Consumers arrive with a clear shopping list, complete the transaction, and leave, making deep emotional connections rare.

In contrast, Wukang Road is an “open theater” brimming with everyday life.

There’s no obvious commercial boundary. Old villas, residential buildings, cafes, galleries, and bookshops intertwine, creating an “original life atmosphere” that cannot be artificially replicated. As one of Shanghai’s 64 roads never to be widened, Wukang Road boasts 119 years of history, with street widths strictly controlled to 12–15 meters and building heights limited to 2–3 floors. Fourteen outstanding historical buildings and 37 preserved historical structures sit under the natural shade of plane trees, fostering a relaxed pedestrian vibe.

Here, luxury brands are no longer lofty “commercial landmarks” but “cultural neighbors” integrated into the city’s fabric. Consumers don’t come specifically to shop; they encounter brands by chance while strolling on a Citywalk.

This “serendipitous” consumption experience precisely hits today’s consumers’ yearning for “ease and relaxation.”

Below: From January 1 to 18, 2026, Louis Vuitton made a conceptual attempt on Wukang Road. Through the “Louis Vuitton Hotel” pop-up in an old villa, the brand used a hotel narrative framework, blending travel spirit, classic handbags, and immersive experiences, previewing its vision of integrating luxury accommodation and lifestyle, paving the way for a future physical hotel. (Source: Yiqisheji, Mr. Mall)

Brand Narrative: Product Display vs. Scene Storytelling

In malls, the core of brand narrative is “product.”

Rent is at a premium, so space design must serve sales conversion. Bags and clothes in display cases are the absolute stars. Brands can only go so far as decorating stores more luxuriously and arranging products more beautifully.

On Wukang Road, however, the scattered historical buildings give brands immense freedom. The historic architecture itself becomes the best storytelling medium.

Brands no longer rush to push bags and clothes; instead, they use the building’s history to construct a complete “worldview.”

• LV turned a century-old villa into a “hotel,” naturally placing classic bags like Speedy and Noé in the lobby, guest rooms, and Champagne bar, perfectly echoing the brand’s “art of travel” DNA.
• Longchamp’s “La Maison de Famille” adopted the theme of “home,” creating living room, dining room, and library scenes, wrapping family spirit and French aesthetics in warm daily life.
• Le Labo preserved the old building’s wooden structure and traces of age, blending fragrance scents with historical ambiance, conveying an attitude of “slowing down.”

When consumers immerse themselves in these scenes, they no longer buy a simple product but a ticket to an experience and a lifestyle.

Below: On January 11 this year, Lemaire’s first Shanghai store opened on Wukang Road, housed in a standalone private villa with its own garden. This 1930s old residence designed by Dong Dayou retains a homely atmosphere across three floors, surrounded by courtyard greenery. Stepping inside feels like entering Lemaire’s home. (Source: ShanghaiLook)

User Connection: Broad Traffic vs. Precise Niche Penetration

Malls have massive traffic but a diverse audience.

An LV store welcomes thousands of tourists annually, but only a fraction are target consumers. Brands spend heavily to filter potential customers from broad traffic.

Wukang Road, on the other hand, leverages its cultural, trendy, and historical DNA to naturally “filter” its crowd.

Data shows that within a 3-kilometer radius of Wukang Road live 62% of Shanghai’s young, high-income women. They seek cultural experiences and love social sharing, making them the core target for luxury brands.

Here, brands don’t need to shout to attract everyone. They just need to express themselves well, and those who truly understand will find their way in.

Amid the Citywalk trend, consumers encounter brands “by chance” on the street. This “de-elitist” experience creates a rare sense of “ease.” For example, Fendi’s pop-up’s everyday design and interactive experiences instantly bridge the psychological gap with younger generations, sparking deep emotional resonance through cultural identity.

Below: From April 25 to May 24, 2026, Chanel unveiled its COCO BEACH 2026 collection pop-up boutique in a garden villa on Wukang Road. The brand invited visitors into a “vacation villa facing the garden,” offering a clear, transparent fantasy where they could preview the collection by Creative Director of Fashion Matthieu Bl

azy’s summer coastal narrative sketched in style (Image source: ANDSHOPS)

Strategic value: Short-term sales vs. long-term brand equity

Opening a flagship store in a large shopping mall is a “heavy-asset” strategic choice.

With tens of millions in renovation costs and lease terms lasting up to a decade, once a brand sets down roots, it’s hard to make adjustments. As the luxury market growth slows, the risks of this model are piling up.

The “pop-up + long-term lease” model on Wukang Road offers brands a more flexible, lighter option.

Pop-up stores have short build times and low trial-and-error costs. Brands can swap out themes and scenes based on seasons, holidays, or new product launches, keeping things fresh for consumers. Chanel’s COCO BEACH pop-up was only open for a month, and LV’s “pop-up hotel” ran for just 18 days, but they generated way more buzz on social media than many permanent stores.

In a word, true scarcity has shifted. In an age of material abundance, products aren’t rare anymore—experiences are. Closed-off malls aren’t scarce, but cultural spaces that coexist with the city are. When luxury brands stop being “symbols of wealth flaunting” and become “cultural messengers,” they can truly win consumers’ long-term loyalty.

II. The “cultural obsession” of urban renewal: What era-defining value has Wukang Road reshaped?

Luxury brands choosing to set up shop on Wukang Road is a “two-way street” between the brand and the city. They’ve brought new-era value to the renewal of Shanghai’s historic districts.

Cultural symbiosis: Bringing historic buildings to life today

For a long time, renewing historic districts fell into a trap: either a “museum-style” freeze, turning old buildings into cold displays, or over-commercialization, building fake antiques.

Wukang Road has carved out a new path: “cultural symbiosis.”

Luxury brands get involved in revitalizing old buildings with respect. They don’t mess with the main structure but use clever design to let the historical value of the old architecture shine alongside the brand’s modern aesthetic.

Lemaire, to nail the fine texture of the facade, went so far as to mail material samples from France and pushed for multiple special reviews before finally getting approval. This extreme attention to detail not only reflects the brand’s vibe but also shows respect for the historic building.

In turn, old buildings give brands an irreplaceable “narrative premium.” The century-old villa at 40 Lane 1, Wukang Road, has become a “new global fashion landmark” after hosting LV and Chanel.

This model—where “buildings are readable and brands are immersive”—means historic structures aren’t just relics of the past but living carriers of urban culture today.

Image below: The facade of Lemaire’s flagship store has a very fine texture. This originally came from the brand’s insistence—Lemaire wanted to express its refined and elegant brand tone starting from the exterior. But any renovation of this heritage-protected building is strictly regulated. So, the brand sent material samples from France to China for explanation and justification, even willing to accept a longer construction timeline (Image source: LEMAIRE)

Consumption upgrade: From traffic monetization to value accumulation

In the past, Wukang Road’s commerce relied on a “photo economy.”

A flood of internet celebrities, dressed in bizarre outfits to grab attention, posed and made a scene on the streets. This not only disrupted residents’ lives but also dragged down the area’s overall tone. The departure of brands like野兽派 (Beast) was seen as a sign Wukang Road had “gone off track.”

But the arrival of luxury brands has pushed Wukang Road to shift from “traffic monetization” to “value accumulation.”

Today, Wukang Road has formed a diverse business mix of “top-tier luxury pop-ups + designer brands + approachable cultural creations.” Right next to Longchamp’s “Le Pliage House” is The Matcha Tokyo’s matcha shop. Not far from Lemaire’s flagship is the theme post office of Wukang Building.

This mix meets the consumption needs of high-net-worth customers while keeping the neighborhood’s everyday charm. Data shows that during the LV pop-up hotel’s opening, tax refund orders at nearby兴业太古汇 (HKRI Taikoo Hui) surged by 700%, proving the boosting effect of high-end consumption.

Image below: Le Labo’s store on Wukang Road retains the original wooden structure of the building and traces of time, allowing the brand’s fragrance and aesthetic narrative to complement the building’s and the city’s historical depth, enhancing its authentic connection to local culture (Image source: WWD International Fashion News)

Governance innovation: Exploring the “Avenue Montaigne on a timeline”

Of course, Wukang Road’s success couldn’t have happened without the government’s precise planning and agile governance.

In its “14th Five-Year Plan” for commerce, Xuhui District clearly positioned Wukang Road-Anfu Road as a “quality fashion district.” To tackle the pain point of scattered property rights in historic areas, the government built a communication platform for owners, sub-lessors, management companies, and brands, launching an innovative “Avenue Montaigne on a timeline” model.

Instead of pushing for a cluster of heavy luxury flagship stores, they used state-owned core buildings as a breakthrough. Through “short-term buzz + high-frequency iteration” pop-up events, they gradually raised the area’s commercial level.

At the same time, the government set up a “one-stop” service window to help brands with approval issues like upgrading electrical capacity in old buildings and facade renovations. This efficient government service lets luxury brands set up quickly and gives them confidence in long-term operations.

Image below: Wukang Road street view (Image source: Light Chasing Lab)

Final thoughts

From Le Marais in Paris to Brera in Milan, from the backstreets of Omotesando in Tokyo to Wukang Road in Shanghai, we’re witnessing a global trend:

The high-end fashion industry is moving from enclosed shopping malls to open cultural districts.

This isn’t a “downgrade” for luxury brands—it’s a self-revolution driven by growth anxiety. When consumers no longer settle for symbolic consumption but crave emotional experiences and a sense of cultural belonging, only by embedding into the city’s fabric and coexisting with local culture can brands gain lasting vitality.

For urban renewal, Wukang Road’s story teaches us: truly valuable renewal is about respecting and passing on historical context. When century-old villas meet top-tier fashion and deep cultural heritage meets innovative business logic, what emerges is the urban charm of our era.

Original author: Executive Vice President of the Shanghai Industrial Transformation and Development Research Institute

Responsible editor: Hu Shanyu

Planning and review: Xia Yu

·END·

This article is original. Please leave a message for reprint requests.

Is your brand being recommended by AI?

Digital Growth Bootcamp · Session 5

Have you noticed more and more people using AI search—not clicking links, but asking AI directly and then making decisions? What does this mean for businesses? If AI doesn’t know about you or recommend you, those customers who should be yours are quietly flowing to others.

I. In the digital age, is your brand seen by AI?

From Baidu and WeChat search to Doubao, Yuanbao, and ChatGPT, AI is becoming the first go-to for many people to get information. But most companies’ content is incomprehensible to AI—posted but not cited, well-known but not recommended.

▸ When clients search your industry on AI, competitors come up instead

▸ You’ve written plenty of content, but AI won’t cite or recommend it

▸ You don’t know where to start to get AI to bring you customers

This isn’t a tech issue—it’s a method issue. Marketing in the digital age needs a systematic approach to make AI understand and recommend you—that’s exactly what this course aims to solve.

II. “Digital Growth Bootcamp · Session 5” is officially recruiting

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📍 2 days, 1 night · In-person training · June 6-7 · Shanghai

The course progresses through three stages—from building awareness to implementing tools and then monetizing—to help you establish a new marketing system for sustained customer acquisition and growth in the AI era.

Three-stage learning path

Stage 1: See the direction – Understand the new rules of traffic in the AI era

▸

Why are more and more consumers using AI search to make decisions instead of opening web pages and clicking links?

▸ What’s the underlying logic behind AI recommendations, and what kind of content is more likely to be referenced and recommended?

Phase 2: Practical Methods – Get AI to Understand and Recommend You

▸ Brand positioning upgrade: How to make AI accurately understand who you are and what problems you solve

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▸ Building a word-of-mouth ecosystem: How to accumulate brand endorsements trusted by AI across major platforms

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▸ Automated operations team: Build an AI-driven marketing team that runs 24/7 nonstop

3. Four Outcomes You’ll Take Away

By the end of the boot camp, each participant will walk away with four sets of tools and methods ready for immediate application:

01: A Self-Assessment Toolkit

Complete an AI visibility diagnosis for your brand in 15 minutes, pinpointing where the weaknesses lie

02: A Content Methodology

A writing framework that makes AI prefer your content, adaptable to various scenarios like official websites, WeChat public accounts, and product introductions

03: A Service Template

Out-of-the-box content optimization guidelines and standard templates, ready for daily operations

04: An Automated Operations System

Build an AI-driven marketing team to continuously and automatically handle daily promotion and operations tasks

4. Teaching Team

This boot camp is coordinated by the AI Innovation Application Center of the Shanghai Institute for Industrial Transformation and Development.

Liu Kai – Chief Expert, AI Innovation Application Center, Shanghai Institute for Industrial Transformation and Development

Founder of Moments Marketing Intelligence, AI Agent expert. With over 20 years of experience in digital transformation, he previously served as Digital Director of Commercial Operations at Budweiser Asia Pacific and Digital Director at AbbVie. In 2023, he founded an AI Agent platform, deploying over 1,000 AI agents for companies like Novartis, Eli Lilly, and Tsingtao Beer, generating over 10 million yuan in commercial value for clients.

5. Who Should Join?

If you recognize yourself in any of the following scenarios, this course is for you:

Entrepreneurs

Want to build a first-mover advantage in the AI era and attract more customers proactively

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Finding traditional promotion methods increasingly ineffective and need a new marketing approach suited for the AI era

Content Professionals

Produce plenty of content but struggle with traffic, seeking truly effective methods

AI Entrepreneurs

Looking to package this capability into a product or service and find new commercialization directions

6. AI Innovation Application Center

The AI Innovation Application Center of the Shanghai Institute for Industrial Transformation and Development is a newly established specialized business unit focused on the digital intelligence era, concentrating on the R&D, implementation, training, and services of AI innovation applications. Leveraging the institute’s deep, decade-long expertise in industry revitalization and urban renewal, the center targets core pain points for governments, parks, and enterprises in digital intelligence transformation—difficulty in using, poor application, low visibility, and challenging monetization—and provides full-chain support from AI tool development and scenario application to hands-on training and implementation services, helping clients enhance operational efficiency, strengthen brand influence, and achieve business growth in the AI era.

Registration Info

📍 June 6–7 (2 days, 1 night) · Shanghai · Exact location TBD

Current price: 6800 yuan
Early bird price: 6120 yuan (10% off, valid until May 31)

Scan the QR code below / Contact us for more details

Contact: Teacher Qin
Phone: 15921998880
Email: qinjinyun@siitd.cn
Address: Room 101, Building A, No. 1538 Yan’an West Road, Changning District, Shanghai

Clear Direction · Practical Methods · Monetization Loop

Presented by the AI Innovation Application Center, Shanghai Institute for Industrial Transformation and Development