Plaza 66: The newest luxury shopping destination in Shanghai

Visitors from around the world flocked to Shanghai last week to witness the star-studded grand opening of the newest luxury shopping destination Plaza 66. Featuring an incredible breath-taking live performance by fifteen-time Grammy award winning American singer, songwriter, record producer, pianist and actress, Alicia Keys, for one night only, the mall was transformed into a 66-storey playground showcasing truly unforgettable experiences.

From amazing food experiences from Pierre Marcolini chocolates, candy floss and carnival claw machines to Cartier flash mob dancers, edible art installation by Janice Wong, Chef Michael White's restaurant Marea pop-up and a rooftop after party, it was a celebration of the grandest scale. Amongst the selected VIP guest list were renowned art photographer David LaChapelle and fashion photographer Tommy Ton to name a few.

Located in the heart of Shanghai's busiest shopping districts, Hang Lung Properties saw the opportunity to give Plaza 66 a major strategic face lift back in 2015 and has since then been aiming to transform the popular mall into a luxury space that's all about creating a smoother customer journey and amazing experiences from the moment visitors step inside.

Key changes were introduced to redefine their luxury shopping experience such as a brand new, incredibly stylish VIC lounge designed by Ilse Crawford to ensure Plaza 66's most important customers can relax, unwind and enjoy some refreshments after a long day of activities at the mall. Themed in a gold, white marble and rust colour palette, the space gives off balanced vibes of cosiness and sophistication, equipped with its very own private dressing room and connecting room, which houses a professional hair spa station. Only shoppers that spend a minimum of one million RMB a year at the mall are bestowed this prestigious VIC status.

Demographically, the majority of customers in Shanghai are female and with a new emerging group of younger shoppers with a lot of spending power, the team behind Plaza 66 have aimed to design experiential shopping targeted for this group especially. Senior manager of Plaza 66 Vera Wu explains, "We opened the mall since 2001, recently we have quite a number of unique brands opening at the Plaza, located in the basement are a few brands such as Golden Goose and other contemporary brands, to target young clients, with also a very traditional mix of international brands. Dior will open their Shanghai flagship in October. We want to have a balance, some contemporary brands may have a shorter period of cycle so we want to have something new, and along with this small portion of new contemporary brands we have pop up stores and brands that are having a first trial in China or Shanghai."

The huge rise of e-commerce in recent years has not deterred Plaza 66 as it aims to offer an experience that online shopping cannot. Creating an integrated shopping experience with cafés and shops like COVA and Pierre Marcolini, exclusive customer service, great ambiance and amazing food and beverage offerings such as the new two-storey Marea by famed Chef, Michael White, opening later in the year, aims to make Plaza 66 stand out from the rest.

Vera further explains that Plaza 66 are able to elevate the shopping experience with the help of partnering luxury brands who have extended their own resources. "Such as Louis Vuitton, they have a private apartment which is not open to the public, it's by invitation only, quite similar to what we are doing here, a private lounge where they can host VIP ordering and a unique shopping experience, what we are offering here is very different from e-commerce platforms."

To find out more information about Plaza 66, contact your Lifestyle Manager.