The Hunan Provincial Department of Commerce, the Changsha Municipal People's Government, and Forbes China Group jointly held a press conference on April 3. It announced that the 2025 Forbes China New Retail Industry Innovation and Investment and Financing Event will be held at the Changsha Beichen International Conference Center from April 17 to 19.
Themed on "Innovation-Driven: Building the Future Together," the event will bring together global leading retail companies and investment institutions, as well as industry experts, to discuss key topics such as consumption upgrading, technological empowerment, integration of domestic and foreign trade, and investment and financing. Together, they will explore the future trends and investment opportunities in the new retail sector.
The event will have three major highlights:
Firstly, scenarios featuring the integration of culture and commerce will be created, with a new retail performance stage set up in the Chaozong Street Historic Cultural Block. An urban shopping festival will also kick off simultaneously.
Secondly, "local + international" two-way empowerment will be promoted. In particular, an activity titled "Australian Companies' Changsha Tour" will be specially planned. Leveraging the advantages of the Changsha Cross-Border E-Commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone, the event will create a platform for domestic and international brands to "buy globally, sell globally."
Thirdly, policy and service support will be enhanced. Changsha will focus on multiple dimensions such as opening up scenarios and attracting talents to provide enterprises with full life-cycle services, enabling innovative ideas to take root and thrive in Changsha.
In addition to high-level forums, investment and financing matchmaking conferences, and new retail experience exhibitions, the organizers will also arrange for guests to visit core areas related to Changsha's new retail industry chain. The guests will conduct field inspections to see how Changsha promotes industrial upgrading and foster innovation in consumption.
Hunan has always regarded the retail industry as an important engine for expanding domestic demand and promoting upgrading. In 2024, Hunan Province's total retail sales of consumer goods exceeded 2.13 trillion CNY, with growth rates standing at the forefront nationwide. As the provincial capital, Changsha, with its soft power of being named "China's Happiest City" for 17 consecutive years and its hardcore environment characterized by "low-cost entrepreneurship, high-quality living," has not only nurtured phenomenal brands like Chayan Yuese, Wenheyou, and Snack Is Busy, but also attracted regional headquarters of 32 leading retail companies such as Freshippo and JD. It has become one of the preferred destinations for international consumer brands entering the Chinese market.
This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.
Translator: Kuang Zhenzhen
Chinese source: changsha.gov.cn
