Laopu Gold opens its largest store at Shanghai Plaza 66, becoming the only Chinese brand in the mall's prime area

The performance of China's high-end market over the past two years has demonstrated, for the first time, that Chinese brands now hold the power of discourse in the country's luxury consumption sector.

Flagship Store Debuts at Shanghai Plaza 66

On September 25, Laopu Gold officially opened its new store at Shanghai Plaza 66. Located in the core area of the mall's second floor, the store spans over 350 square meters—making it the largest Laopu Gold store in China. It is also the only Chinese brand situated in the prime zone of this top-tier shopping destination, renowned as "Home to Luxury."

The store continues the "Chinese Scholar's Studio" theme, incorporating the ancient Chinese ritual jade artifact Yucong into its design, offering consumers an experience that blends Eastern ceremonial elegance with cultural depth. On the same day, Laopu Gold's store at Shanghai Grand Gateway 66 was also renovated, debuting in a large-format store within the luxury core area.

Concurrently, Plaza 66 hosted the "Timeless Classics, Timeless Luxury—Laopu Gold Classic Works Exhibition," showcasing a series of new goldware pieces, including gold-bodied lacquer-inlaid Ruyi gold cups, gold-bodied lacquer Twelve Flower Goddess tea cups, and gold-bodied enamel Nine-Dragon tea bowls. The exhibition interprets Eastern lifestyle aesthetics through classic culture and refined taste.

The industry has taken close note: the arrival of a Chinese brand's flagship store at Shanghai Plaza 66 is not only a landmark event breaking decades of Western brand dominance in China's high-end retail but also signals a redefinition of luxury value. The luxury industry, it suggests, is entering the "Laopu Era."

Disrupting High-End Retail Rules

Before Laopu Gold, few Chinese brands could secure prime locations in top luxury malls. Now, the best positions in China's most prestigious shopping centers are being redistributed. High-end retail, once entirely dependent on international luxury houses, is now turning to Laopu Gold—the only Chinese brand to enter the luxury track—rewriting the rules of the channel game.

Shanghai Plaza 66 is one of China's most exclusive malls, housing flagship stores of the world's top luxury brands. It boasts extreme brand density and scarcity, with several stores achieving global-leading annual sales. It is also the China headquarters for many high-end luxury brands. On October 25, 2025, Laopu Gold officially opened at Plaza 66, becoming the only Chinese high-end brand to achieve full coverage across China's top ten luxury malls. It had previously set a single-day sales record during a member day event. In less than a year, Laopu Gold has established a flagship store here, signaling not only that it has passed the scrutiny of the most discerning luxury shoppers but also its ambition to anchor in Shanghai and target the global market.

Earlier this year, Laopu Gold launched a large-scale retail upgrade, renovating stores in over ten top luxury malls, including Shenzhen Mixc World, Shanghai IFC, and Hangzhou Tower. The collective renovation of five stores in Shanghai, in particular, demonstrates the brand's "aggressive acceleration" in the luxury segment, driven by market performance.

According to Frost & Sullivan data, Laopu Gold ranked first globally among luxury brands in both single-mall store efficiency and sales per square meter for the full year 2025 and the first half of 2026. During the recent Qixi Festival mall events, Laopu Gold ranked first in sales at top luxury malls such as Beijing SKP and Hangzhou Tower.

On September 14, Citigroup released a research report stating that Laopu Gold's quality and uniqueness have built a strong brand moat, giving it a unique market position with no direct competitors.

Redefining Consumer Value in a Maturing Market

Founded in 2009, Laopu Gold is China's first and leading brand to promote the concept of "Ancient Method Gold." It is also the drafting unit for China's first group standards on "Ancient Method Gold, Solid Gold Diamond Setting, Gold-Bodied Enamel, and Gold-Bodied Lacquerware."

Laopu Gold redefines luxury value standards through a four-in-one value combination: classic culture, intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship,极致 aesthetics, and the asset value of gold. This approach overturns industry traditions, reshapes the market landscape, and ushers in a new era for the sector.

Rupert Hoogewerf, Chairman and Chief Research Officer of the Hurun Group, commented: "What makes Laopu Gold special is not only its极致 products but also its disruptive business model. From the 'Chinese Scholar's Studio' store concept to the 'non-discriminatory' customer service that abandons luxury hierarchy, and the 'non-utilitarian' after-sales philosophy, Laopu Gold has built a complete system that creates a value model entirely different from traditional luxury brands."

The luxury industry is entering the "Laopu Era." A McKinsey global luxury consumption report suggests that Chinese brands like Laopu Gold are gaining a competitive edge through culturally differentiated narratives. High-net-worth Chinese consumers are increasingly inclined to choose Chinese brands that tell stories of authentic value and cultural resonance.

From June to August, a three-month survey by Citigroup showed that Laopu Gold enjoys extremely high popularity among high-net-worth individuals: customers purchase an average of 3.2 times, 58% have made three or more purchases, 11% have made five or more purchases, and 95% of customers are willing to repurchase within the next 12 months—demonstrating rare brand loyalty and repurchase intent.

Citigroup specifically noted that after Laopu Gold raised prices in February, gold prices experienced a historically rare sharp decline in March. Yet nearly half of all purchases still occurred after April this year. This strong demand further confirms that Laopu Gold's market performance is brand-driven.

Authentic value and cultural resonance are positioning Laopu Gold as a long-term brand capable of navigating market cycles. "Creativity, craftsmanship and service experience, product structure, and cultural heritage—Laopu has established some very important pillars that support them becoming a long-term player in the luxury field, rather than just pursuing short-term gains," said Professor Stefan JG Girod of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland. He believes that Laopu Gold's unique luxury value proposition and brand system will pose a sustained challenge to Western luxury brands.

Editor: Zhu Xiaoqian