SND ventures into department store format
What: The multibrand retailer is opening a department store at a Chongqing's historical site, with a focus on homegrown brands.
Why it is important: Retailers are shifting strategies in post-lockdown China. By carving out a space for culture and art, selling Gen Z-friendly streetwear, modestly priced fashionable homeware, candles and books, SND hopes to draw in a new cohort of shoppers.
SND, the multibrand fashion retailer in Chongqing is launching the Super Normal Department, one of its biggest stores since it opened nine years ago. The space includes three independent buildings and a courtyard garden, spanning 10,800 square feet. The space is minimal in design. Initially occupied by eateries and bars, Super Normal Department is part of Changjiahui Shopping Park, an outdoor shopping center known for attracting tourists.
Seventy percent of SND's clientele is young people who had experience studying abroad and have developed their own sense of style. They prefer European and Korean brands such as Marine Serre, Hyein Seo and Our Legacy. The other 30% are the new middle class who prefer local brands such as Eenk and Immi, which are trendy but also work-friendly.
Due to accelerated store openings, SND's sales doubled in 2021 year-over-year. The company now counts 12 stores in first- and second-tier cities, including Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Guiyang and Sanya. SND also launched a Tmall store in 2018, which accounts for around 35 to 40% of sales. The company is also planning a new store in Shenzhen this August.
With a population of 32 million, Chongqing is the largest city in Southwest China.
SND ventures into department store format