When it comes to Shanghai’s famous outlets, most people are familiar with the Bailian Outlets in Zhaoxiang, Qingpu, and Mig Tiandi across from it, as well as Florence Town in Pudong.
The one in Qingpu has been around for years, so you’ve probably already visited. This time, I’ll introduce Florence Town and the newly opened Yilai next to Disney.
Florence Town opened in early 2015 and is located right outside Yuandong Avenue Station on Metro Line 2. Upon exiting, you’ll encounter many unlicensed taxis, but the outlet is actually quite close; if the weather is nice, it’s a quick walk. It was developed by Italy’s RDM, and its parent company, Fingen Group, essentially guarantees a certain level of merchandise supply. The famous Serravalle Outlet in Milan was also developed by this group, and the architectural style here is similarly Italian. However, given the relatively high taxes in China, don’t expect prices to compare with those abroad. Fortunately, it’s convenient, though finding truly great value still requires some careful browsing.
Yilai is located within the Disney Resort area. After exiting Disneyland Station, you can take the resort shuttle bus—it’s just one stop—or simply walk. Yilai was created by the UK’s Value Retail, which is also behind the renowned Bicester Village in England. Its architectural style is distinctly more modern, and with a lake beside it, they’ve crafted an area reminiscent of the Bund. Overall, the shopping environment here is noticeably superior to the other two outlets, and it’s much less crowded. There are also collaborative art exhibition spaces inside, making it a great place to stroll even if you’re not shopping.
nThe weather was particularly beautiful on the day I went. First up, a set of photos from Florence Town:
Yilai:
In terms of brands and scale, Bailian Outlets is actually slightly better. Especially regarding brands, it complements Mig Tiandi across the street, covering most mainstream brands on the market. Florence Town also surpasses Yilai in this regard; Yilai feels more like a place where you can enjoy a comfortable leisurely stroll. So, for brands/merchandise, the ranking should be Bailian>Florence Town>Yilai, while for environment, it’s Yilai>Florence Town>Bailian.
Photos in this post taken with SONY A5100 + 16-50 f3.5-5.6, post-processed in Lightroom.
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