Refurbished Yashow to Re-Renovate Beginning Monday, Jul 25?
They (re-)built it, but they didn't come. Now it appears Yashow Market may be set to try again.
The sad and strange saga of what was once one of Sanlitun's most popular shopping destinations may be about to get stranger, as the shopping center, which closed at the end of 2014 for a seven-month renovation that took nine, could shut again as early as Monday, July 25 for further refurbishments, according to a message sent by one tenant company to its customers on Saturday.
RELATED: Full coverage of Yashow Market's renovation and reopening
First opened in May 2002, the former rabbit warren of low-end gifts, counterfeit goods, and other items popular with residents and tourists went upscale to try to catch the same shoppers forking over the big RiMBies next door at Sanlitun's Taikoo Li and across the street in Sanlitun Soho. The initial closure was scheduled to be from January 1, 2015, until July of that year, but the shopping center didn't re-open until mid-September, to some curiosity and a lot of silence.
"Dear customers, because Yaxiu [Yashow's pinyin name] market is refurbishing again, starting from the 25th of July, the shop will be temporarily closed. Please come and visit us to our Sanlitun shop in the 3.3 building. Sorry for the inconvenience," longtime Yashow resident Lily Nails, which also operates in 3.3 and in Sanlitun Soho, sent as a text message to customers on Saturday. Whether this would mean a partial or total renovation, and how long that might last, could not be confirmed independently at the time of publication.
Other Yashow tenants could not independently corroborate the imminence of any refurbishment, but one company, speaking on condition of anonymity, said things had reached an "urgent" stage and some type of change was likely coming soon. Yashow management could not be reached during the weekend for comment.
During a Sunday morning visit, air conditioning on the building's fourth floor was turned off, and the fifth floor food court has been closed for some time. A smattering of customers walked about. Almost every business had a discount sign in its storefront, one offering as much as 70 percent off. Some ground floor shops have been vacated, others occupied but not opening for business.
Clean and spanking new, the once-bustling building has seen minimal foot traffic since it reopened. As we reported in March, six months into their new leases, vendors that remained beyond the first half-year were being offered 1.5 months' free rent as compensation for the lack of business, one owner told the Beijinger, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Yashow management made itself even less popular with some Sanlitun residents when in June they evicted wine retailer Cheers on short notice.
We suggested seven ways to reanimate the now moribund location, so we'll have to see if any of our suggestions are incorporated in the purported Yashow 3.0.
Photos: Cheers, Kyle Mullin, Yashow
