Hong Kong-listed Lifestyle International Holdings has announced the formal opening of its Dalian Jiuguang Department Store, which is the group's first Japanese-styled department store in Dalian and its third department store in mainland China.

The Guangdong-based department store retailer Jusco, a subsidiary of the Japanese retail giant Aeon, has accelerated its expansion in the Chinese market with a new project in Popark, Guangzhou.

According to reports in local media, Shanghai Meilongzhen Isetan department store will be re-launched as a lifestyle department store that is to open in 2010.

Department store retail group Parkson has announced that it plans to close two outlets in Beijing and Changsha, citing retail area and lack of sales.

Japanese retail giant Takashimaya and Gubei Group, a subsidiary of China Enterprise, have jointly announced that Takashimaya will open a new department store in Gubei, Shanghai.

Sir Stuart Rose, executive chairman of the British retailer Marks and Spencer, said that the company did make some basic shopkeeping mistakes when opening its first outlet on Chinese mainland, but it will still develop more stores in China, doubling the share of overseas sales in the group's total revenue.