Mac unveils piano-inspired flagship in China’s top mall Nanjing Deji Plaza

What happened Mac Cosmetics has unveiled a striking new flagship concept in Nanjing’s Deji Plaza mall, the brand’s top performing store in China. Designed by acclaimed architect Li Xiang of X+Living, the revamped space reimagines the interior as a deconstructed grand piano, an artistic metaphor for Mac’s creativity-first philosophy. The immersive design transforms beauty shopping into a multi-sensory experience. Lipsticks stand in for piano keys, eyeshadow palette evoke tuning knobs, and a sculptural ceiling mimics the inside of a stringed instrument. The store also offers AR-powered try-ons, artist-led makeup studios, co-creation zones, and personalized gifting services: all aimed at China’s digitally fluent, experience-hungry consumers. The grand opening drew crowds, especially when Mac global ambassador and Mando-poo icon Jolin Tsai (蔡依林) made a surprise appearance to celebrate the new “Art Studio.” Fans and beauty lovers packed Deji Plaza, underscoring the store’s immediate consumer pull. On Weibo, Tsai helped the opening attract half a million views for its related hashtags. The Jing Take The choice of Nanjing is a highly calculated move. Deji Plaza is now China’s (and potentially the world’s) top-performing standalone mall, with 2024 sales hitting a record 24.5 billion RMB ($3.4 billion), surpassing Beijing SKP. Located in the heart of Jiangsu province and within one hour of high speed rail access to much of the Yangtze River Delta, the mall attracts affluent consumers from across Eastern China. Beyond location, Nanjing’s booming “first store economy” has made it a magnet for global luxury and beauty brands. Deji Plaza alone introduced over 50 first stores in 2024, including Hermès, Chanel, Valentino Beauty, and now Mac’s piano-inspired flagship. This aligns with a broader strategy by luxury strategy by luxury retailers to tap into China's rising middle class spending power beyond traditional hubs like Beijing and Shanghai. Nanjing Deji Plaza’s Gen Z-first strategy Nanjing’s Deji Plaza has also been engaging younger generations through a series of initiatives. In terms of first store launches, the mall focuses on fresh concepts that resonate with young consumers, bringing in Burberry’s first-ever global beauty boutique, Graff’s new global concept store, and Prada Beauty’s first store in Asia. The mall also invested millions of dollars to create a set of uniquely designed restrooms featuring themes like “Michelangelo Art Style,” “Forest Garden,” “Blue Luxury Palace,” and “Cyberpunk Nightclub,” which have become viral social media sensations. On Chinese social media, these restrooms are nicknamed “The Hermès of bathrooms,” and “Nanjing’s 5A-rated scenic spot,” successfully capturing the attention and imagination of young shoppers. Mac’s Nanjing flagship exemplifies how global beauty brands are recalibrating their China strategies to stay culturally relevant and commercially competitive. As consumer demand shifts from mere product acquisition to immersive, expressive experiences, physical retail spaces are becoming the playgrounds for brand storytelling. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media. Read more: One product, multiple benefits: ‘Makeup-care’ rises Global giants stumble, Chinese brands surge Louis Vuitton bets big on beauty Beauty and the tariff beast: Industry in crisis

Why Mac chose Nanjing Deji for its bold new store

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Why Mac chose Nanjing Deji for its bold new store