Designer brands have caught on big time in China. According to a new survey by marketers and Chinese netizens, the luxury craze is spreading out from the affluent coastal cities and into China’s inner regions. For the first time, Chongqing, a city built on rugged terrain in China’s mid-west region, made the list, proving that luxury brands are sought after in cities other than Beijing and Shanghai. Below are the top ten cities in China where citizens are most interested in luxury brands:

1. Shanghai

Of course Shanghai is the expected number one on the list. The “city that never sleeps” is home to an array of exclusive retail shops and boutiques, with just as many upscale malls and shopping centers. The Bund is also one of the world's top high-end shopping districts.

2. Beijing

Beijing is second only to Shanghai when it comes to the number of exclusive retail shops and designer boutiques found scattered throughout the city. Although the designer collections in the city aren’t as comprehensive as those of Shanghai, Beijing is most definitely number two in China when it comes to market for luxury brands.

3. Hangzhou

Hangzhou has an array of designer brands and goods, including clothes, leather products, furniture, cosmetic goods and more. Hangzhou has the most comprehensive collection of luxury goods and brands of the three cities mentioned so far. Hubin International Shopping District, one of the most expensive shopping streets in Hangzhou, is equal in scale and function to that of Via Monte Napoleone in Milan, Italy.

4. Guangzhou

Guangzhou ranks four due to its La Perle Plaza and the Friendship Shopping Center, two of the big brands in department stores. However, because the city is so close to Hong Kong, many local shoppers opt to take their business there for the sake of better selection and service.

5. Shenzhen

Shenzhen has a larger selection of designer furniture than Guangzhou does. Right now, Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen are the top three cities for the most comprehensive collections of designer furniture in China. But again, because of the close vicinity to Hong Kong, many shoppers choose to do their shopping in Hong Kong instead of staying local.

6. Chengdu

Chengdu is representative of the western part of China when it comes to luxury brands. Like Chongqing, Chengdu is one of the two pivotal cities sought after by luxury brand marketers as they try and compete for their hold on affluent shoppers in the mid-western part of China.

7. Chongqing

Another city in the mid-Western part of China, alongside Chengdu, Chongqing is set to be one of the two pivotal cities where luxury brand marketers are looking to jump start their efforts at converting affluent shoppers in China’s center region.

8. Qingdao

Qingdao is the quickest developing hub for luxury goods in Shandong province in northern China. Many designer brands and luxury cars have made their home in the city, in particular the upscale Haixin Plaza in Qingdao.

9. Xi'an

Xi'an's Zhongda International Plaza (西安中大国际名品广场) is one of the most expensive and bustling shopping centers in the city – and in all of China. Even though Xi'an has its share of big name department stores, Zhongda International Mall and Century Giwa to name two, the city still has a long way to go before it can complete with the likes of Chengdu and Chongqing.

10. Dalian

Dalian has an upscale shopping center called Parkland, which has quite a number of designer shops and boutiques. Even though Dalian is a second-tier city and doesn't have as many luxury car shops as neighbor Qingdao, another city in Northern China, Dalian does have the world-famous exclusive brand Hermes to start them off on the road to becoming more “luxurious”.

Source: Sohu.com

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