It can be believed that Nanjingers who love going shopping in Xinjiekou all have the same question on their lips: The Orient Department Store has been closed for a long time now – what will it turn into? Insiders have revealed that the Orient Department Store will be injected with British style and turned into a House of Fraser, or, in the case, an House of Fraser. It is understood that House of Fraser and Hamleys will officially open this autumn. Their first stores will be located in China’s premier shopping district Xinjiekou, in Nanjing. Hamleys will become the toy store with the largest floor area for a single store in China.

On 15 May, UK time, British Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday celebration was held in Windsor Castle and members of the royal family came to celebrate the Queen’s birthday. On 30 May, reporters learned from Sanpower Group that on 14 June, the British Consulate-General Shanghai will hold an English-style tea party to celebrate the Queen’s birthday in Shanghai in a fresh way. Sanpower Group, as a partner of this event, will bring its two British brands – House of Fraser and Hamleys – to the party.

Tony Clemson, deputy consul-general of the British Consulate General in Shanghai, explained that more than 800 guests will be invited to the English tea party. In addition to delicious British-style refreshments, there will be a variety of entertainment. It is worth mentioning that the British Consulate General in Shanghai hopes to make the sumptuous tea party for the Queen’s birthday a record-breaking event by having the most participants of any tea party in the world.

Since Nanjing Cenbest, which is wholly owned by Sanpower Group, acquired the quintessential department store House of Fraser, which holds a warrant from the British royal family, Sanpower has been in constant interaction with the UK. One year ago, Sanpower Group became a partner for the “GREAT Festival of Creativity” hosted by the British Consulate General in Shanghai. During this same event, Yuan Yafei, Chairman of Sanpower Group, reached an agreement with Prince William to jointly establish a Wildlife Protection Foundation. Last October, Sanpower Group and the Royal Foundation jointly signed a memorandum of understanding and began to formally advance wildlife protection. This March, Yue Lei, senior vice president of Sanpower Group, was elected the first Chinese ambassador of United for Wildlife (UFW). Together with Prince William, David Beckham and other public figures in Britain, he will promote the cause of wildlife protection.

Sanpower Group enjoys a deep friendship with the UK and the royal family, and it intends to actively participate in the tea party that the British Consulate General in Shanghai is organising for the Queen’s birthday. This time Sanpower Group will not be alone. It will also bring House of Fraser and Hamleys, two British brands closely related to Sanpower, to the party to celebrate the Queen’s birthday. Coincidentally, House of Fraser debuted for the first time in China at the “GREAT Festival of Creativity” last year. This year, it will be Hamleys toy store that will make its debut in China at the birthday tea party.

People in the know from Sanpower Group revealed that the two British brands House of Fraser and Hamleys will enter the Chinese market officially this autumn. The first stores will be opened in Xinjiekou, Nanjing, and the preparation for launch is counting down to the final stages.

Of the two, the first House of Fraser in China, House of Fraser, will take over the location of the former Orient Department Store. The Orient Department Store will be linked via a bridge with the adjacent Nanjing International Financial Centre (IFC). Together they will form a large-scale commercial unit over seven floors, with a gross floor area of 70,000 square metres and a shop floor of 55,000 square metres. The Orient Department Store originally had a solid foundation in high-end international brands including Armani Collezioni, MaxMara, Lancome, Chanel Beauty and others, but House of Fraser does not want to stick to the same well-worn path. Instead, it intends to beat a new and unusual path. House of Fraser has its eye on the rising middle class as its target customers. Relying on a number of House of Fraser house brands with unique styles and the buyer teams who work in close cooperation with international brands, complemented with affiliate brands that are familiar to Nanjing consumers, the company hopes to fundamentally solve problem of ever-increasing homogeneity in terms of the products sold in China. Meanwhile, it fills in a gap in Xinjiekou for high quality fashion.

Hamleys toy shop, a British store with a history of 256 years and the world’s most well-known toy brand, will occupy space from the ground floor to third floor in the IFC. With a shop floor of over 6,000 square metres, it will become the single largest toy store in China. After the opening, Hamleys will sell over 4,000 items and the store will add in new toys at the same time as the toy shops in the UK. Its objective is to become one of the new landmarks and tourist attractions in Nanjing.

In addition, Brookstone, a dedicated brand for novelty items in the USA, will take its place within House of Fraser as its unique brand. In contrast with the traditional consumer electronics stores, in addition to novelty products from the USA, customers can also have experiences and interactions any time they like, and learn about the latest international technology and consumer trends in the Brookstone store. It is a great shopping destination for tech buffs.

It is understood that House of Fraser, China’s first Hamleys, and Brookstone are the strategic partnership anchor stores for Sanpower Plaza. In the future, Sanpower Plaza will combine the high-end department store, air garden, aquarium, deluxe theatre, entertainment for children and other types of businesses organically to build a world-leading experience and leisure-based commercial complex.