German footwear brand Birkenstock recently opened its first Guangzhou store at the Parc Central – located in Tianhe district – to provide a better shopping experience for consumers in the region.

According to data from Winshang, a Chinese commercial property information outlet, Guangzhou introduced a total of 999 city-first stores from 2021 to August 2024. Among these, a whopping 306 settled in the Tianhe Road-Zhujiang New Town business circle.

The contributions from this business circle have led Tianhe to account for 49 percent of all first stores in the city.

A shopping plaza in the Tianhe Road-Zhujiang New Town business circle bustles with visitors. [Photo/WeChat account: tianhefabu]

Data also showed that in 2024, Guangzhou saw annual transaction proportions of 46 percent in catering, 37 percent in retail, and 16 percent in the service industries.

The Tianhe Road Business Circle stood out with a retail transaction proportion of 49 percent – significantly higher than the city average – showcasing the area's appeal to chain retail brands.

The most significant growth was observed in transactions of sports brands, with new stores in this category representing 18.5 percent of all retail new stores in the business circle – representing a hefty increase of 15.7 percentage points on 2023.