News: Sega opens its first permanent store in Shanghai
Nintendo stores and Pokémon Centers have long been a familiar sight in major cities. But a permanent Sega store came as a genuine surprise — especially given where it opened.
May 1, 2025 became a real celebration for video-game and retro-culture fans: Sega opened the first permanent store in the company's history in the heart of Shanghai.
It is also the brand's first official store not just in China but anywhere in the world — even Sega's home country of Japan does not yet have anything comparable.
The opening marked an important step in Sega's strategy to expand in Asian markets. Sega president Shuji Utsumi attended in person and said, “We want to bring the appeal of Sega to a broad audience in Shanghai, where gaming culture is already firmly established.”
The new flagship store is located in the Bailian ZX shopping center, one of the busiest spots in the city and a familiar destination for anime and video-game fans. The space is built around nostalgia and spectacle: visitors can buy unique products designed with local culture in mind, take part in interactive exhibits, take commemorative photos, and play both classic and modern Sega games.
The merchandise includes branded Sonic the Hedgehog items as well as exclusive collectibles available only in this store. It has already become a destination for devoted fans and people just discovering Sega's universe.
The opening was staged on a large scale, with costumed characters, live performances, previews of upcoming releases, and a festival-like atmosphere that visitors are unlikely to forget.
Sega is betting on more than retail. The idea is to create a cultural space where people can connect with the company's legacy and rediscover the magic of games that several generations grew up with.
It is remarkable that after losing the console race to Nintendo, Sega could simply have faded away. Instead, the company reinvented itself around its cultural legacy, nostalgia, and the strength of its most recognizable character, Sonic. The success of new games and the film franchise has allowed the brand not merely to survive but to move back into the spotlight and expand confidently into areas such as retail and dedicated fan spaces around the world.