The 2025 Guangzhou International Shopping Festival will launch on September 29 in Guangzhou, bringing a citywide shopping extravaganza that blends sports, culture, and technology for locals and international visitors.
The festival will run until December 31, featuring over 3,000 curated events across physical and digital platforms.
Shoppers can look forward to massive discounts, consumption vouchers, pop-up markets, art carnivals, beer festivals, and flash sales across the city's retail centers, including Grandview Mall, Tee Mall, and TaiKoo Hui Mall.
Grandview Mall will hold an arts carnival from Sept. 29 to Dec. 31.
E-commerce platforms will join the festivities with promotions such as free premium IP blind boxes, lucky draws for free meals, and hotel stays for as low as RMB 1. Additionally, auto purchase subsidies of up to RMB 5,000 are available until September 30.
Enhanced cross-border shopping experience
This year, the festival emphasizes convenience for international visitors.
Duty-free stores in Guangzhou will showcase Lingnan-style products with discounts of up to 45%, bundled coupon packages, and 10x membership points.
Key shopping districts have also introduced instant tax-refund services for overseas tourists, enabling quick reimbursement on purchases of "Made in Guangzhou" goods.
Payment systems have been upgraded in partnership with UnionPay and Alipay to ensure smooth transactions with international bank cards. Multilingual staff will be stationed at major venues to assist foreign guests. Special offers are also tailored for attendees of the Canton Fair and other international business travelers.
Citywide celebrations with local flavor
Coinciding with the upcoming 15th National Games, which will officially open in November, this year's festival integrates sports energy into shopping experiences.
Highlights include appearances by sports celebrities, limited-edition athletic merchandise, and live screenings of games at major commercial hubs such as Tinho Town.
Tee Mall will hold a sports-themed shopping promotion.
Also, each of Guangzhou's 11 districts will host unique themed activities, ranging from Cantonese cultural experiences and tech-driven shopping to light-art installations and international food festivals. Whether exploring "Guochao" (China-chic) trends or immersive tech pop-ups, visitors can enjoy a diverse array of localized offerings.
A city walk festival promoting the exploration of trending local spots will be held.
"From September onwards, Guangzhou invites the world to walk into business districts for this autumnal celebration of shopping, sports, and culture," said a festival organizer. "Don't miss the chance to be part of the excitement!"