The 7th China International Import Expo, or CIIE, will take place in Shanghai on Nov 5-10 – and it is set to spotlight the city's rapidly expanding global appeal.

At a news conference on Oct 23, municipal officials noted that Shanghai is now the second most attractive city in the world for global retailers – highlighting its role as a major fashion and consumption hub.

Since the inaugural CIIE, Shanghai has welcomed over 4,500 global and domestic brands launching products in the city.

It has also paved the way for the arrival of 7,065 first stores, including 102 at the Asian level or above. With more than 90 percent of the world's luxury brands present, Shanghai has effectively consolidated its position as the city of choice for trendsetting retail shopping.

To further support CIIE exhibitors, Shanghai's one-stop trading service platform continues to help exhibitors reach out to local consumers – with bonded display policies that make it easier to convert exhibits into saleable products.

To date, the initiative has introduced over 350,000 products with a total import value of more than 450 billion yuan (about $63 billion).

Source: Shanghai Observer