Hefei's first luxury mall closed after 20 years — Baida CBD's last day was March 31

When Baida CBD opened on January 21, 2006 at the Sanxiaokou crossroads of Hefei's old city — with close to ¥100 million invested — it was the city's first high-end commercial complex, and for a generation of residents it defined what a modern mall could be. Twenty years later, Baida Group announced the store would close for good after business hours on March 31, 2026, citing the transformation of the department store industry and the company's own strategic shift.

The forces named by industry observers were more specific: e-commerce and delivery took the sales that once required a trip downtown; the mall's positioning never quite matched the market; parking was hard and access awkward; newer complexes rose as Hefei's commercial center of gravity moved. Tenants said they had received no word on what comes next, and the building ends its run without an announced successor.

The closure drew a sentimental wave — residents calling it the end of their youth, queues for clearance sales at 10–30% of original prices — and a blunt diagnosis from older shoppers: the young shop online now, and a store that never built an online channel pays for it in foot traffic.