short take · china strategy

a coffee shop where the jeweller used to be.

written by angelito tan3 october 2026

blue bottle is opening its first beijing store in china world mall, in a unit previously occupied by tasaki. it's only one store. but it's an interesting swap. a coffee brand taking over a luxury jeweller's space says something about how people are using malls differently, and what landlords now want from prime locations. maybe the shift isn't simply away from luxury. maybe some of the space once reserved for big-ticket purchases is moving toward things people can enjoy more often. sometimes you can see a change in consumer behaviour just by looking at who moved in.