On May 20, Adidas Originals opened a store at 322 Anfu Road, the German sportswear giant’s first global flagship for the Originals line in Shanghai. The launch coincided with a limited-edition drop of pet-themed apparel, which drew large crowds and briefly caused road congestion.
Since last year, Adidas has been rolling out a pyramid-shaped channel strategy in China. At the top are brand centers and flagship stores in commercial hubs of first- and second-tier cities, supported by a broader base of retail formats operated through franchise partners. The Anfu Road store clearly belongs at the apex of this structure.
Compared with other Adidas locations, the Anfu Road store features much faster product turnover, with new drops every week instead of the monthly or seasonal updates common elsewhere. Limited-edition and collaborative items also debut here first. “Opening on Anfu Road is just as significant as opening on Huaihai Road or East Nanjing Road,” said Lu Zhenhan, vice president of sports fashion brand marketing at Adidas for Greater China. “Choosing Anfu Road means choosing the youth.”
“We want to be a good neighbor,” said Wu Liang, head of corporate PR for Adidas in Greater China. It’s a sentiment echoed by nearly every brand that’s set up shop on Anfu Road. Adidas preserved the site’s original character in its renovation: the second floor’s footwear section is styled like an old-school screening room, while the flooring on the first floor mimics the texture of classic Shanghai cement.
Choosing Anfu Road is part of Adidas’s localization strategy. In its latest earnings call, CEO Bjorn Gulden reaffirmed his belief in the importance of localization. Today, Anfu Road may be one of the last streets that genuinely embodies Shanghai’s evolving consumer culture.
According to a person familiar with the matter, Adidas secured the location soon after Beast vacated it in 2023. The setup took over a year. What was once home to Beast’s lifestyle brand Little B is now dedicated to Adidas footwear and its outdoor-oriented “Equipment” line. The two remaining storefronts on the first floor have since been leased to coffee concepts run by local streetwear brands. Around the same time, Saturnbird Coffee’s “Force Flight” store exited the street. Its replacement, Breeze Ridge, is a creative Chinese cuisine concept. It opened in November 2024, but was closed when 36Kr visited.
Adidas is far from the only international fashion label to stake a presence on Anfu Road.
Brandy Melville, often credited as the pioneer of “hot girl” fashion on the street, has operated on Anfu Road for six years. Though it doesn’t disclose local revenue, analysts estimate its annual growth in China at 20–25%. Last year, fellow Italian brand Subdued followed suit, opening its first China store nearby on Wukang Road. Both brands appear in no rush to expand beyond the neighborhood, which locals half-jokingly call “the center of the universe.”
In September 2024, Zara launched a pop-up at 298 Anfu Road to showcase limited-edition pieces and experimental design lines. The store was designed by AIM Architecture, a local studio with deep ties to the area and past work for brands like Klee Klee, Harmay, Deja Vu, and Saturnbird’s Force Flight. AIM’s portfolio suggests a talent for crafting distinct identities within minimalist formats.
Others are quietly preparing to join. In a less busy section of Anfu Road, sportswear label Salomon, part of Amer Sports, has taken over a storefront display, prompting speculation about a potential pop-up. Salomon opened 22 stores last quarter, more than any other Amer brand.
Why are so many major brands gravitating to Anfu Road in 2025, even as influencer-led retail wanes? Simply put, only they can generate the sales needed to cover the rent.
“Between April 28 and May 20, during our soft opening, daily sales averaged between RMB 50,000–60,000 (USD 7,000–8,400),” the Adidas store manager said. “And that’s with crowd control in place.” According to local media reports, from 2020–2022, businesses situated along the corridor between Wukang Road and Anfu Road generated RMB 67–79 million (USD 9.4–11.1 million) in annual tax revenue. Some top fashion retailers reportedly contributed over RMB 10 million (USD 1.4 million) individually.
Zugzug, the local lifestyle group behind Klee Klee, has grown up under Anfu Road’s plane trees. From just seven employees in 2002, it has evolved into a multi-brand company with seven labels. Its physical stores avoid a cookie-cutter approach, each offering distinct layouts and product pairings. Individual store sales reportedly exceed RMB 7 million (USD 980,000).
In the latest round of brand reshuffling, Zugzug has also been evolving. After In The Park closed, Zugzug introduced Klee Klee & Friends, a lifestyle-focused concept selling clothing, home goods, plants, gardening tools, and handmade crafts, complete with a teahouse. The original Klee Klee store remains open just down the street. There’s a sense of evolution, yet everything remains firmly rooted in Anfu Road.
Food and beverage outlets continue to thrive, especially around the coveted corner of Wulumuqi Road near upscale residences like Jinyuan and Huixianju. Even on weekday afternoons, Western-style cafes are packed. Wagas, the dominant F&B player in this area, runs four brands in close proximity, catering to quality-conscious locals and a rising tide of international tourists benefiting from relaxed visa rules. According to one insider, a single Baker & Spice location generates more than RMB 10 million annually.
Of course, retail formats are only part of the picture. Beneath the surface lies a subtler negotiation: who gets to define how shared space is used. One neighborhood official recalled a dispute over a Harmay window display that residents found too tall. After mediation, the brand agreed to lower it. These small compromises help maintain the street’s delicate equilibrium, which may be the key to its sustained commercial appeal.
“A heritage district isn’t a museum, and it’s definitely not a ghost town,” a local resident said. “It’s busy during the day, but come nightfall, the neighborhood is still calm and quiet.”
In Commonalities: Production of Behaviors, the author describes the ideal street as a mix of intimate zones that together create a vibrant public space. While most examples in the book focus on public parks or civic corridors, it also cites commercial developments. Anfu Road now feels like a real-world case study in that coexistence, though whether the balance can last remains to be seen. For now, the only thing to do is to keep walking, watching, and taking note.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by He Zhexin for 36Kr.