Forget Tariffs, Chinese Retailers Plan Thousands Of Western Stores

President Donald Trump’s tariffs are still up in the air, but the message from the annual retail industry event MAPIC in Cannes this year was that Asian brands don’t care — they are heading west anyway, and they plan to go big.

With European and U.S. mall development all but stalled and established retailers expanding, albeit at a cautious and highly selective pace, investors and landlords were looking for something more than the Riviera’s warm autumn sun to provide some cheer. 

And the big takeaway from MAPIC 2025 was that several Chinese and Asian brands have fixed their expansion strategies on Europe and the U.S., intending to open stores at breakneck speed.

“When it comes to the U.S., Chinese brands are in this for the long term,” Savills co-Head of Global Retail Sam Foyle said, adding that as a result, they appear to be treating tariff issues as a temporary blip.

“They're not looking at a quick buck. They've got much more confidence, creativity and some brilliant design teams.” 

One of the most prominent examples is the Guangzhou-founded lifestyle retailer Miniso, which has been on a determined global growth trajectory. Having debuted in China in 2013, it has since grown to around 8,000 stores in 111 markets and is heading toward 500 European stores.

Miniso is now targeting large-format superstores in high-traffic locations, leaning into its intellectual property collaboration strategy with Marvel, Disney and Barbie, among others, after trialling its Miniso Land format in Shanghai.

Since then, it has launched its first Miniso Land store in Europe in Madrid, its first Asian large store in Bangkok in October, and more recently opened at the West Edmonton Mall in Canada.

“The Miniso Land format is typically around 10K SF, compared with our usual stores at about 3K SF, and they include far more space for experience, for parties, for younger customers to have fun,” said Vincent Huang, Miniso Group vice president and general manager of overseas business.

Miniso has opened around 10 Miniso Land stores across China now, and Huang said the debut store, which has traded for a little under a year, has achieved sales of about $50M on its own.

“While our store expansion pace may slow a little after some incredible years growing the brand around the world, we want to open more of these large stores where we can really showcase our IP collaborations and also our own IP,” he said.

Target markets include the major European countries, plus its first Swiss store next year, he added.

Urban Revivo, often described as a Chinese version of Inditex’s Zara, has been targeting capital cities with large, highly visible stores. Founded in 2006, the chain has been quietly expanding beyond its Asian foothold, targeting 200 international locations.

It has already opened large-format stores in London, New York and other fashion hubs in a strategy intended to raise the brand’s global profile.

“Tariffs have a very limited impact on consumer retail, but Urban Revivo continues to monitor the situation,” Urban Revivo CEO Leo Li said. “To address potential tariff increases, we plan to optimise our cost structure and global sourcing strategies to mitigate the impact of any tariffs.” 

Childrenswear group Balabala has more than 4,500 stores in mainland China and Hong Kong, and it has expanded into more than 20 markets, opening over 100 stores, with its first European stores to open in Italy next year.

Semir & Balabala International Division Senior Director Nicole Zhou said that with the global fashion industry facing growth challenges, more brands will seek to break geographical constraints and explore new markets for growth.

“Over the next 12 months, we will be strengthening our Asian position and looking to launch in key markets where we are not yet present offline,” she said. 

A confirmed development agreement is in place for Italy, while its plans and approach are being finalised for entry into the wider European market.

“North America is in a trial phase both online and offline, providing valuable market insight for potential further development in the short to medium term,” Zhou added.

In home improvement and value hardware, Malaysia’s Mr.D.I.Y. has opened more than 5,200 outlets since its formation in 2005 and has expanded into 14 markets, opening 1,000 stores last year and on target for 1,200 stores this year.

European markets include Spain, Poland and Turkey, with the company targeting openings in Romania, the Czech Republic and Hungary in 2026.

“Germany and its surrounding markets are another key focus for our expansion, and we intend to continue the pace of our current growth,” Mr.D.I.Y. Chief Operating Officer Leo Gann said.

One of the most aggressive expansion strategies has been laid out by Xiaomi, best known for smartphones and consumer electronics, which is looking to open roughly 10,000 new Mi Home stores overseas over the next five years. It has also pivoted into the electric vehicle market, Xiaomi Technology Head of Retail for Western Europe Eva Niu said.

“We want to build on our brand penetration and open EV showrooms and stores very quickly across Europe and the U.S.,” she said.