Metro Brings Foot Traffic to Wuhan's Underground Commercial Districts
2016-11-04
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New Regional Landmarks: Metro Stations Connect Commerce and Transportation
The metro is a common form of public transportation in major cities worldwide, carrying the bulk of a city's passenger flow. For businesses, where there are people there are opportunities, and the vast metro network is essentially an underground commercial map. With the rapid development of Wuhan's metro construction in recent years, underground commercial districts have become a "must-win battleground" for businesses, and some major interchange stations have become new regional landmarks, driving the rapid growth of metro commerce.
Upgrading in Full Swing: Big-Name Stores Increasingly Appear Underground in Malls
Tasty, good-looking and fun have become the focus of malls across Wuhan. A reporter's visits found that many newly opened brands on mall basement floors are emphasizing distinctive offerings, with "big names" appearing frequently—specialty food and beverage outlets from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Singapore, Japan and other countries, covering tea drinks, ice cream, pastries, coffee, chocolate and more. Simple and convenient yet distinctive, with relatively affordable prices, they are stopping many hurried consumers in their tracks.
During the visits, the reporter also found that many big-name restaurants have set their sights on underground commercial districts. The first French century-old dessert shop in Central China, which invited French star Sophie Marceau to cut the ribbon, recently opened on the basement floor of Wuhan International Plaza and drew plenty of attention right from its opening. It is understood that, unlike the affordable prices of other specialty eateries, this shop's per-capita spending reaches 114 yuan. "The first floor is the best location in the whole mall, followed by the second floor and the basement floor," a relevant person in charge of Wuhan International Plaza told the reporter, noting that today's consumers value convenience more. Many businesses have spotted the opportunity—for example, the dessert shop mentioned above targets the customer base of the luxury brands on the first floor of Wuhan International Plaza.
Underground commercial districts are booming, but their turnover is also rapid. "People today like to try new things, especially queuing for specialty food," said a staff member of the planning department at Chicony Plaza, citing the once hugely popular "Uncle Tetsu" as an example: when it was at its peak, buying a cake meant waiting an hour. Yet even such a popular cake shop could not escape the rapid turnover rule—the reporter noted that the former "Uncle Tetsu" space has now become a specialty snack shop. An industry insider said that constant brand turnover can also make malls more attractive, while lower average spending per customer keeps foot traffic strong. The insider stated bluntly that higher table turnover rates and compact stall areas allow underground dining to profit in a short time and serve as an effective means of drawing foot traffic, which has become one of the main reasons many restaurants choose to go "underground."
Suited to High-Frequency, Everyday Necessity Spending
Underground Commerce to Flourish Further as Metro Network Improves
Hu Runzhou, director of the Urban Transport Management Research Institute of the Wuhan Branch of the China Academy of Management Science and a transportation expert: "In recent years, the development of Wuhan's commercial districts has been inseparable from transportation, especially the metro." Hu Runzhou, director of the Urban Transport Management Research Institute of the Wuhan Branch of the China Academy of Management Science and a transportation expert, said in an interview with the reporter that metro construction plays a very important supporting and driving role in Wuhan's commercial development.
"Connecting time and space, the metro reduces travel time and gives back more time for consumption. Because the metro has brought great changes to commerce, this is a new feature. Line 4 in particular has driven the development of Qingshan and Hanyang, which were commercial lowlands, and as the metro develops further, it will bring further development to Wuhan's commercial districts." Hu Runzhou also mentioned Line 2, which he often rides: the old commercial districts were mainly Wuguang and Zhongnan, but now there are many more, extending to several commercial districts around the Optics Valley area.
"Metro construction plays an irreplaceable role in commercial development. Beneath some large metro stations are commercial streets, and together with above-ground malls, a three-dimensional commercial system will gradually take shape," Hu Runzhou said bluntly, noting that metro stations in Tokyo have as many as five underground levels, and due to scarce land resources, underground space is fully utilized. Wuhan's commerce used to be mainly above ground, but with development it is taking on a three-dimensional form; the three-dimensional development of public transportation such as metro and buses is also the direction of the future. Hu Runzhou said that Wuhan's underground commercial districts are still only in the initial stage and will become more developed once multiple lines are fully connected into a single network.
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