'Rooftop economy' latest consumption front

Following the success of the night economy, China’s retail sector is now developing the "rooftop economy". This involves turning rooftops of shopping centers into vibrant spaces for culture, leisure, and shopping. In Beijing’s Dongcheng district, the Breeze Terrace Project was officially launched to combine commerce, culture, and tourism in one initiative.

Starting from the rooftop garden on the seventh floor of Beijing APM Shopping Mall, the project will run through October, including major leisure seasons such as the May Day holiday and Mid-Autumn Festival. The program links over 100 venues like cafes, bookstores, restaurants, and cultural parks across multiple rooftops. It features diverse activities including classical music performances, yoga classes, tennis lessons, and sunset concerts that attract visitors of all ages and interests.

In 2025, the project attracted over one million residents and tourists, establishing the "terrace economy" as a significant cultural consumption trend in Beijing. Han Wei, deputy director of culture and tourism in Dongcheng, said the initiative aims to create a "sky-high economic belt" that balances cultural richness with commercial vitality. The rise of this new economy coincides with steady retail growth in China, demonstrating the potential of shopping centers to evolve from mere points of sale to dynamic lifestyle and social destinations.

Industry experts see this transformation as a key factor in China's retail development, emphasizing the importance of experiential consumption to attract modern consumers.

Building upon the momentum of the night economy, China’s commercial retail landscape is experiencing a strategic evolution with the advent of the ‘rooftop economy’. This innovative initiative repurposes underutilized rooftop spaces in shopping centers into dynamic cultural, leisure, and retail environments, effectively redefining urban consumer experiences. Central to this development is Beijing’s Dongcheng district’s Breeze Terrace Project, which orchestrates a multi-sector collaboration spanning cultural, commercial, and tourism fields.

Officially inaugurated at the 7th-floor terrace garden of Beijing APM Shopping Mall, the project extends through October, strategically capitalizing on peak consumer periods such as the May Day holiday, summer vacation, and Mid-Autumn Festival. More than 100 curated rooftop venues, ranging from boutique cafes and bookstores to cultural parks, collectively foster an immersive consumption ecosystem enriched by classical music salons, yoga sessions, and interactive sporting activities. The initiative attracted over one million visitors in its 2025 pilot phase, underscoring the ‘terrace economy’ as a formidable force in urban cultural consumption.

Han Wei, deputy director of Dongcheng's cultural and tourism bureau, frames the project as an ambitious attempt to cultivate a “sky-high economic belt” that harmonizes cultural profundity with commercial dynamism. This upward spatial expansion mirrors broader structural transformations within China’s retail sector, as elucidated by industry authorities during the release of the 2026 Shopping Center and Retail Consumption Development Report. Cai Yun, vice-president of the China General Chamber of Commerce's shopping center branch, highlights the transition of shopping centers from mere transactional spaces to multifaceted lifestyle hubs and experiential destinations.

The rooftop economy, therefore, epitomizes a paradigm shift emphasizing synergistic urban retail innovation, elevated consumer engagement, and the seamless integration of culture and commerce in a rapidly urbanizing society.