Samsung opened its first China flagship experience store on October 18, 2019, on Shanghai’s Nanjing East Road pedestrian street—directly opposite Apple’s store. The location made the opening a conspicuous retail statement, but “first” needs a qualification: Samsung had already opened a Galaxy Lifestyle Store in Beijing in 2014.
What opened in Shanghai—and when?
The two-floor store opened on October 18, 2019, on Nanjing East Road, a prominent pedestrian shopping street in central Shanghai. Contemporary Chinese coverage described it as Samsung’s first flagship experience store in China and reported that it stood directly across from Apple’s Nanjing East Road store. The Paper’s opening report covered the location and launch.
At approximately 1,000 square meters, the venue was designed for more than browsing shelves. It combined hands-on product areas with sales and after-sales service, giving shoppers a place to try Samsung’s mobile devices and seek support in the same visit.
Why “first store in China” is misleading
The Shanghai opening was not Samsung’s first branded retail venue in China. On November 4, 2014, the company announced its first Galaxy Lifestyle Store in China, at The Place in Beijing. Samsung’s description included a Product Experience Zone, Galaxy Lab, accessories, concierge services and Galaxy Music. Samsung’s 2014 announcement makes the distinction clear: the earlier store was a lifestyle and product-experience concept; the 2019 Shanghai venue was presented as the company’s first flagship experience store in the country.
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| Store | Opening | Location | What “first” refers to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy Lifestyle Store | November 4, 2014 | The Place, Beijing | Samsung’s first Galaxy Lifestyle Store in China |
| Flagship experience store | October 18, 2019 | Nanjing East Road, Shanghai | Samsung’s first China flagship experience store, as reported at the time |
What could shoppers see and try?
The Shanghai store showcased Samsung’s mobile-device lineup, including the Galaxy Note10 and Galaxy S10 series and the Galaxy A90 5G. Those were products of the 2019 launch period, not current recommendations.
A 5G experience zone demonstrated uses such as cloud gaming and high-definition online video. ITHome’s report described these demonstrations as part of the store’s hands-on offer. The emphasis was on letting visitors experience emerging 5G use cases, rather than suggesting every device in the store supported 5G.
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What the Apple-facing location does—and does not—tell us
Having Samsung’s flagship experience venue directly opposite Apple’s store made the competitive comparison unusually visible: visitors could encounter the two brands’ products and retail environments in the same shopping area. It was a high-profile placement for Samsung’s retail presence in China.
The location alone does not establish that Samsung chose the site to provoke Apple, that the stores had the same ownership or operating model, or that one attracted more customers. Contemporary reports confirm the proximity, not Samsung’s motive or the opening’s effect on sales or market share.
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Samsung invested; Aisidi operated the store
Contemporary reporting said Samsung invested in the Shanghai site and that Aisidi, its partner and mobile-phone distributor in China, managed and operated it. That distinction matters: a Samsung-branded, Samsung-funded flagship experience does not automatically mean a store was run under the same corporate-retail model readers may associate with Apple.
The reported arrangement paired Samsung’s brand and product presentation with a local retail partner’s operating role. It also helps explain why the opening should be understood as a flagship-format investment, not simply proof that Samsung had previously lacked retail outlets in China.
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How significant was the opening?
The store marked a visible investment in in-person product experience and service at a prominent Shanghai location, with 5G demonstrations central to its 2019 presentation. Its position opposite Apple made that investment easy to read as a brand comparison, but the opening reports do not establish what happened afterward: they provide no evidence of sales gains, a reversal in market share, or lasting commercial success.
The specific facts here describe the October 2019 opening. They do not establish whether the Shanghai store remains open today.
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