Upcoming Int'l Consumption Festival Leverages First-Launching Economy to Drive Global Shopping Trends

Chongqing - The fourth 2025 China (Chongqing) International Consumption Festival, running from April 29 to May 31, will spotlight the first stores and exclusive exhibitions featuring the latest fashion, beauty, and innovation in Chongqing, according to a press conference on April 24.

Located in downtown Chongqing, Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street is the busiest and most prosperous business district in western China. (Photo/Chongqing Jiefangbei Business District)

As the leading department responsible for organizing the city's key business events, the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce invited directors of several city districts to introduce their participation in the event.

Guanyinqiao, widely recognized as one of the city's most vibrant consumption hubs and renowned for its first-store economy, has launched over 80 first-store brands and hosted more than 70 premier events in 2024, with over 600,000 visitors daily, according to Shi Haiping, deputy director of the Guanyinqiao Business District.

"First Store Economy" refers to an economic model that drives consumption and urban commercial vitality by attracting renowned brands to open their first stores, or flagship outlets, in a specific city or region. In 2024, the Chongqing municipal government issued several measures to promote the first-store economy, aiming to support the city's goal of becoming an international consumption center in western China. 

In addition, Chongqing Starlight 68 Plaza at Guanyinqiao will host the FUFUSOUL Southwest First Exhibition, where Guanyinqiao will showcase international designs and trendy products from Italy, Uruguay, and other countries, featuring over 30 major brands, including Huawei, VIVO, and Saint Laurent, to enrich the festival experience.

Yuzhong District has seen an influx of new brands, including Michelin-starred restaurants such as Spanish Aleia Restaurant and Family Li Imperial Cuisine, the world's first two-star Michelin Chinese restaurant. 

In 2024, Jiefangbei, the historic shopping center in Chongqing, became the first in Western China to surpass 100 billion yuan (USD 13.7 billion) in retail sales, ranking fourth nationally in consumption competitiveness. Jiefangbei will continue to enhance its position as both a historical center of Chongqing and an international consumption hub, according to an official of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce.