Cultivating and building an international consumption center city is a major decision and deployment made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to build a new development pattern, which is of great significance for boosting consumption, promoting high-quality development, and better meeting the needs of the people for a better life. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other cities closely follow the "international" trend, focus on "consumption", highlight the "center", continuously optimize the consumption environment, and promote the cultivation and construction of international consumption center cities, achieving positive results. Innovative consumption scenarios and upgraded consumption scenarios are essential for building an international consumption center city. Relevant cities actively innovate and enrich consumption scenarios, driving the continuous improvement of tourism services with personalized and high-quality needs of tourists, and stimulating consumption potential and market vitality with diversified supply. The Qianmen Night Science and Technology Experience Hall in Dongcheng District, Beijing has opened, Daji Lane in Xicheng District has completed a magnificent transformation, and Changxindian Old Town in Fengtai District has created a new space of "performing arts+consumption"... This year, through the "scene revolution", Beijing has integrated its rich historical and cultural heritage with the trend of the "Z generation", pressing the "acceleration button" for the construction of an international consumption center city. Li Hang, Deputy Director of the Consumer Promotion Department of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce, told reporters that Beijing is vigorously carrying out the action of cultivating new fashion scenes, focusing on building diversified integrated clusters, and promoting the deep integration of commerce, culture, tourism, and sports around 16 scenes, creating a number of integrated development demonstration projects. It is currently summer vacation, and summer consumption is bursting with vitality. In early July, the 2025 "Shanghai Summer" international consumption season was launched, and the exciting summer themed activities attracted tourists from all over the world. Compared to previous years, this year's "Shanghai Summer" brand has a wider participation, covering various forms such as culture and art, sports events, cultural tourism business linkage, and IP cross-border. Yu Garden Mall launched theme restaurants, co branded products, etc. in conjunction with the Internet video platform, which won the favor of young consumers all over the world; Pujiang Tourism Group takes the "one river, one river" new scene as the engine, designs and launches a diversified product system, integrates creative gameplay such as "music carnival, specialty catering, and cute pet socialization", and opens up a new form of night tourism in Shanghai; As a city event brand that focuses on promoting summer inbound consumption, the "Shanghai Summer" international consumption season has achieved significant results, with events such as the "Trendy Summer" organized by Pop Mart and the national finals of the "Summer Challenge" organized by Lululemon taking turns. During the event, the number of overseas tourists increased by 42.2% year-on-year, and the total consumption of foreign cards increased by 68.2% year-on-year. As an important carrier of consumer scenarios, the revitalization and upgrading of commercial districts play an important role in promoting the exploration of consumer potential. Since 2021, Guangzhou has added and upgraded more than 60 commercial carriers, with a commercial area expansion of 3.6308 million square meters. By 2025, 27 commercial projects and 1.855 million square meters of new commercial space in Guangzhou will be gradually put into use. Su Zhigang, Chairman of Chimelong Group, introduced that the integration and development of Guangzhou Chimelong Wanbo Business District and Guangzhou South Station super transportation hub will promote the formation of a new pattern of "One Heart, Four Parks" consisting of Chimelong Wildlife World, Chimelong Water Park, Chimelong Happy World and Super Park, which will effectively promote the construction of a world-class tourist destination in the southern extension of the new central axis of the city. Currently, Guangzhou is working hard to build a multi-level commercial district system, constructing a world-class, metropolitan, and regional three-level commercial district pattern. Among them, Taikoo Li K11、 Commercial projects such as China Resources Wanda Plaza have landed one after another, and the city's consumption level continues to improve. Optimizing the consumption environment for better release of consumption vitality is inseparable from a good consumption environment. In Beijing, Wangfujing, also known as the "Golden Street," is undergoing changes, with its first store and debut becoming key development keywords for the neighborhood. The block has successively introduced 21 high-quality first or flagship stores, including the Xunjingxi flagship store, the "Sleeping Castle" mixed reality immersive experience space, and the "Book Fragrance Tea Charm" themed flagship store of Bawang Tea Lady. 86 outdoor activities have been planned and carried out in the block. Zhang Yong, Secretary of the Party Group and Director of the Wangfujing Area Management Committee in Dongcheng District, Beijing, told reporters that the committee continues to optimize the full process closed-loop service mechanism for the first flagship store, especially for the landing of international famous brands. It explores the establishment of a "green channel" around enterprise registration, project registration, license processing, decoration and construction, and other matters. More and more first stores are quietly opening in the Longfu Temple business district in Beijing. Nuo'an Hotel is the first hotel in Beijing, blending the fireworks and human emotions of the hutongs with the avant-garde language of contemporary art; At the first Michelin brand store in Beijing, "Monet Rose" specialty coffee has become a popular choice... "Proactively exploring the resources of the first store, offering discounts on rent, providing golden advertising space, assisting the first store in quickly processing business licenses, fire permits, and other related procedures, and providing comprehensive service support. ”Gao Tianliang, spokesperson for Beijing Xinlongfu Company, the operator of Longfu Temple, said. Fashion trend brands have settled in, innovative formats continue to emerge, and Beijing's series of measures accurately reach young customers, leading to a sharp increase in the vitality index of the neighborhood. From January to May this year, Beijing added nearly 400 new first stores and held nearly 200 events such as debut exhibitions, premieres, and shows. In Guangzhou, payment convenience provides a solid guarantee for international tourists to travel freely. At present, the coverage rate of foreign card acceptance for key merchants in Guangzhou has reached 99.9%, with over 15000 key merchants supporting the acceptance of foreign cards. More than 2.4 million foreign visitors to Guangzhou have used "outsourced internal use" and "foreign card internal binding" services. In the first half of this year, the sales amount of outbound tax refunds in the city doubled year-on-year, covering over 600 stores and forming a convenient network of "full coverage" in 11 urban areas. Through a series of measures, we have connected the entire cross-border consumption chain of payment, shopping, and tax refund, enhancing the willingness and convenience of international tourists to consume. ”The relevant person in charge of Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce said. Strengthening institutional innovation: Faced with the insufficient international influence of local brands and the need to improve the internationalization of the consumer environment, relevant cities continue to make efforts in policy coordination, institutional innovation, and other aspects to create a consumption center city paradigm with Chinese characteristics. Shanghai has taken the lead in implementing the "buy and refund" convenience service pilot for departure tax refunds nationwide, continuously improving the consumer experience. According to Yang Fan, the financial manager of Shanghai Qingpu Aolai, as of July 1st, there have been nearly 4000 tax refunds for leaving the country this year, a year-on-year increase of 126.7%; The consumption amount was 18.663 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 72%. The departure tax refund policy has broken through the ice from the "first order" to the proliferation of smart services, continuously optimizing the business environment and consumer experience, injecting surging momentum into Shanghai. At present, Shanghai has opened 17 centralized refund points for outbound tax refunds, covering key commercial districts such as Nanjing Road, Lujiazui, and Xujiahui. Before the establishment of centralized refund points, Beijing passengers could only apply for departure tax refunds at the tax refund window at the departure port. On the basis of 16 large-scale comprehensive shopping malls becoming pilot "buy and refund" shopping malls, Beijing has further promoted upgrading and expansion measures, launched the "city wide departure tax refund, city one-stop" service model, and set up centralized refund points for "buy and refund" within the city. Experts say that the innovation of the centralized refund point system will significantly enhance the consumption experience of overseas customers. Passengers can easily and quickly complete tax refunds, which not only shortens the capital return cycle but also creates a secondary consumption scenario of "tax refunds as consumption", further unleashing the potential of high-end consumption. Guangzhou has implemented 129 pilot tasks to expand the opening up of the service industry, and 13 measures including foreign-related legal services and green finance have been selected as national pilot cases. The experience of the "Cross border Business Registration" service platform is being replicated and promoted nationwide. From the inclusion of "cultivating and building international consumption center cities" in the national "14th Five Year Plan" development plan, to the approval of the State Council to take the lead in cultivating and building in five cities including Beijing, to the issuance of documents by the Ministry of Commerce to solidly promote various work of cultivating and building... Policy dividends continue to be released, innovative practices continue to deepen, and international consumption center cities are expected to become the source of global consumption trends, leading China's consumption to leap to a higher level. (New Society)