Several new stores and restaurants will be opening this year at Metro stations in Shanghai, officials said.

"We want to develop Metro stations into better shopping and entertainment venues," said Zhang Yan, the vice president of the Shanghai Shentong Metro Group, the city's major subway builder and operator. The largest Metro shopping site, which is set to open next month, will be at the newly built triangular transfer hub at People's Square Station where Metro lines 1,2 and 8 meet.

The 8,000-square-meter transport hub will incorporate three zones, featuring restaurants, upmarket shops and exhibition centers.

Some store kiosks at People's Square Station have been contracted. They include fast food restaurants, bakeries, bookstores, a computer store and coffee shops. Dozens of shops will open at stations on Metro lines 4, 6, 8 and 9.

(Shanghai Daily May 7, 2008)