Retail News CRM

Tag: Qingdao

  • Hisense Extends UEFA Partnership Through 2028 European Championship

    Hisense Extends UEFA Partnership Through 2028 European Championship

    Hisense extended its sports sponsorship portfolio on September 3, 2026, signing on as an official partner for the UEFA EURO 2028 tournament.

    The agreement secures the Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer its fourth consecutive European championship contract since its tournament debut in 2016.

    Announced during the IFA consumer technology trade show in Berlin, the agreement retains Hisense as UEFA’s dedicated display technology partner. The Chinese appliance maker has integrated display hardware across match operations and fan venues while operating marketing zones at European and global football events.

    Expanding Global Screen Presence

    Chinese television manufacturers continue to channel marketing budgets into high-profile athletic tournaments to dislodge South Korean and Japanese incumbents across Western retail channels. Hisense, which took the top global market share position in television sets sized 100 inches and above between 2023 and the first quarter of 2026 according to Omdia data, relies heavily on large-format sports broadcasts to move premium RGB MiniLED sets.

    Rival panel manufacturers TCL and Skyworth deploy similar sporting playbooks across basketball and regional leagues, but Hisense holds the most extensive European football footprint among Asian consumer electronics brands. The commercial payoff rests entirely on whether Western consumer demand for premium home theatre setups offsets the escalating rights fees charged by international sports federations.

    Sponsorship Track Record

    The company became the first Chinese brand to sponsor the UEFA EURO tournament during the 2016 event in France, subsequently renewing for the 2020 and 2024 competitions. Outside European continental football, Hisense backed the FIFA World Cup tournaments in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.

    As the first Chinese sponsor of the UEFA EURO, over the past decade we have grown beyond pure brand sponsorship to become UEFA’s dedicated display technology partner, progressing hand-in-hand.Catherine Fang, Vice President of Hisense Group and President of Hisense Global Commercial Center

    Football investments sit at the core of the group’s overseas expansion strategy, which now reaches retail channels across more than 180 countries. UEFA reinvests 97.5 per cent of its total commercial revenue back into football development, providing top-tier brand partners with year-round visibility across 55 national member associations.

    Hardware Deliveries for 2026

    Commercial execution now shifts to the FIFA World Cup 2026, where Hisense serves as an official sponsor ahead of the 2028 European tournament. Retail inventory planning across European retail chains for the company’s next-generation RGB MiniLED lineup begins in early 2027.

  • Apple to Open a New Store in China’s Largest Luxury Shopping Mall

    Apple to Open a New Store in China’s Largest Luxury Shopping Mall

    Apple Inc.  announced on Saturday that it would soon open its 31st outlet in Qingdao, China. The retail outlet will be located in China’s biggest shopping complex, MixC luxury shopping mall, according to the reports. The new store is expected to open between 10AM to 10 PM local time on weekdays and weekends.

    China has always been a lucrative market for the tech giant and in recent years, Apple has aggressively expanded its franchise operation in the world’s largest smartphone market under the leadership of Angela Ahrendts, senior VP of retail and online stores at Apple.

    Previously, the tech giant has also effectively carried out its operations in the leading Chinese cities and provinces, which includes Chengdu, Beijing, Nanning, Shenyang, and Xiamen. As of now, there are five stores operating in Beijing.

    Apple is one of the leading foreign smartphone manufacturers operating in China, and generates billions of dollars in revenues from the country. In the last quarter, Apple’s sales in China, including Hong Kong and Taiwan surged 99% to $12.5 billion year-over-year (YoY), while iPhone sales in the region rose 120% YoY. Amid increasing demand, the tech giant also aims to open more than 40 stores in China in the next few years. China is the company’s fastest growing market in recent years, and it plans to take full advantage of the potential growth opportunities in it.

    In addition, the smartphone manufacturer is making continuous efforts to increase its market share in the world’s second largest economy. On the other hand, growing trend of online shopping has significantly increased demand for the mobile users in the mainland territory.

    china apple user

    Based on month-over-month results, the number of Chinese mobile consumers has increased tremendously in the past one year. This number is mainly attributed to the boom in the movie industry, resulting in the increasing online ticket booking. Similarly, the boom in the e-commerce industry also raised the number of smartphone users in recent years. According to a report, as traffic issues in the country prevails, an increasing portion of population is using their smartphones to book movie tickets or for online shopping.

    China is considered to be the second largest revenue-generating country for Apple after the US. The company’s sales have grown to $12.5 billion from $5.7 billion last year. If the growth continues at such an increasing rate, it is expected that China will surpass the US and becomes the company’s largest market by 2017.

    According to a claim made by 9to5Mac’s analyst Mark Gurman, the California-based company plans to come up with a new iPhone in March 2016. The new device will be called the “iPhone 5se.” In addition, Mr. Gurman also indicated that iPhone’s latest version will also contain an upgraded 8 megapixel rear camera, a curved glass design, and Live Photos feature. Given the previous track record, the product will likely become a success in China.

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  • Riverside 66 wins top MIPIM Asia Retail award

    Riverside 66 wins top MIPIM Asia Retail award

    MIPIM Asia, the property leaders’ summit in Asia Pacific, has announced 36 winners in the ninth edition of the annual MIPIM Asia Awards.

    Chinese mall project Riverside 66 won Gold, the top honour in the Retail category, from The Breeze BSD City in Indonesia and The MixC in Qingdao, China.

    Sunway Putra Mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was awarded a bronze in the refurbished buildings category.

    The winners of the MIPIM Asia Awards, which recognise excellence and innovation in real estate development in the Asia Pacific Region, were announced during a gala dinner on with Carrie Lam, chief secretary for administration of the HKSAR Government as guest of honour. The final Gold, Silver and Bronze rankings were awarded to the 36 projects previously announced, which had been selected by an international jury composed of 16 industry experts.

    President of the Jury, Nicholas J. Loup, said the judging was a very competitive process this year with a number of high-quality and interesting projects among the finalists.

    “We are excited to see how several of these projects are changing the urban landscape in Asia Pacific.”

    The winning retail projects, with key consultants listed, are:

    Best Retail Development:

    Riverside 66, Tianjin, China: Gold.

    Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC, P&T Architects (project architect), Benoy (interior designer); Developer: Hang Lung Properties.

    The Breeze BSD City, Tangerang City, Indonesia: Silver.

    Architect: Jerde & Arcadia; Developer: Sinarmas Land; Others: Ketira Engineering Consultants Landscape, Saraswati Flora,  PT. Policipta Multidesain, PT. Total Bangun Persada Tbk, PT Korra Antarbuana, Lumina Group.

    The MixC, Qingdao, China: Bronze.

    Architect: Benoy Ltd, Callison; Developer: China Resources Land Limited.

    Best Refurbished Builing:

    Sunway Putra Mall, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Bronze.

    Architect: SAA Architect; Developer: Sunway REIT; Other: Aedas.

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  • ANZ expands retail footprint in China

    ANZ expands retail footprint in China

    The Qingdao branch will cover the entire Shandong Province and will offer products and services for ANZ’s corporate customers.

    Mike Smith, chief executive of ANZ, said that with a significant and growing presence in China and a network across 34 markets in the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and America, the bank is uniquely placed to support its clients looking to grow in Qingdao and the Shandong Province.

    Mr Smith said Qingdao and Shandong Province have established long-term relationships with Australia, and highlighted “major potential” for further growth in bilateral trade and investment.

    “This includes opportunities in industries such as natural resources and agriculture, and the opportunities created through the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement,” he said.

    “With our new branch, we look forward to enhancing cooperation in the Qingdao and Shandong government, and to continuing to support the development of the local financial industry.”

    Huang Xiaoguang, chief executive of ANZ China and head of greater China, said opening the new branch in Qingdao is another step in continuing to grow the bank’s Chinese footprint.

    “As the only locally incorporated Australian bank in China, we will further enhance our capability to provide comprehensive solutions and services to support local enterprises to go abroad,” he said.

    ANZ announced in July the opening of a new branch in Gurgaon, India, to better service its business customers in the country’s north.