visitors at IKEA's Shanghai Xuhui store photo: Chen Xia/GT

IKEA's Shanghai Xuhui store, the very first IKEA on the Chinese mainland, reopened on Thursday after being closed for renovations for four months, featuring the company's first "home experience center of tomorrow" in the world, focusing on Chinese family life in the three-child era.

The upgraded store boasts two floors, a business area of 30,223 square meters, over 9,000 kinds of products, 63 exhibition rooms and a 700-seat restaurant. 

Its highlights include exhibition rooms on how to choose proper furniture and plan house space for family growth, such as living with two and three children, with flexible furniture and designs.

The IKEA also now has interesting and educational amusement facilities for children, providing more playing space, so that the whole family can enjoy themselves in between shopping.

"I think that what we wanted to show is that if you have your first child, then the second and in the future, maybe the third child as well, at IKEA the range can really grow together with you," Andreas Flygare, Market Manager of IKEA Shanghai told the Global Times on Thursday. "I think that family is so important for China and for us as well."

"I feel that the showrooms are closer to the needs of Chinese families who have to handle more than one child in their home and the store is more family-friendly after the renovation," a customer surnamed Lu told the Global Times on Thursday.

IKEA opened its Shanghai Xuhui store in 1998, becoming its first store on the Chinese mainland.

"In the past 23 years, we have witnessed the fantastic development of the China market, China retail sector and upgrade of life at home for many Chinese people across the China market," said Anna Pawlak Kuliga, CEO and President of IKEA China at the opening ceremony.