TO create an intimate shopping experience for their customers, some local business people have moved their stores away from the hustle and bustle of the high streets and into invisible places such as the upper levels of commercial building.

　　When Hong An set up Anxin Optical Salon in 2003 on the 6th floor of the Qichongtian Hotel located on Nanjing Donglu, his family and friends doubted if his store would survive, given its obscure location and consequent lack of walk-in customers.

　　The salon not only survived but broke even within half a year, a much shorter period than would normally be expected in the trade. With customer numbers now growing everyday by word of mouth, Hong enjoys a comfortable return from the store.

　　Having worked for a few major optical groups, both domestic and foreign, Hong came up with the salon idea to better serve his customers.

　　"By getting rid of counters normally found in a retail setting and replacing them with sofas and a tea table, I hoped to encourage socializing with customers while they shop," said Hong.

　　He then introduced the two people sitting at the other side of the tea table, sipping tea and chatting away together.

　　"They are both my customers. But in a way, they are more like friends to me," he said.

　　The social atmosphere aside, the biggest difference probably lies in the way products are sold.

　　Active selling of glasses is banned in the store, Hong explained, and the focus is shifted to the sharing of information with customers so that they are able to make their own choices about the products that best suit them.

　　Provence Fashion Club is another example of the salon approach to retail. Located on the 19th floor of the Jiushi office building on Huaihai Zhonglu, the Club offers customers stylish clothing and something more.

　　Like the Anxin Optical Salon, the Club is furnished with sofas and a tea table in a prominent position. There are also piles of fashion magazines to read.

　　Even if customers do not buy anything, they are welcome to stay as long as they want, explained Dai Weijia, the club's manager, as the shop functions not only as a retail outlet but also as a club for fashion-conscious people.

　　The Club now has more than 2,000 members, Dai said, and the number is ever growing.

　　"Since setting up this shop in 1999, I have made friends with many of my customers who are from all walks of life and my social life has improved a great deal," said Dai.

　　Having worked in the clothing business, Dai built contacts in the textile and clothing industries at home and abroad. With designers, manufacturers and fashion consultants as backup, the shop manages a constant supply of stylish clothing rarely found elsewhere.

　　Like Hong, Dai is optimistic about the future of her business, even though it is located away from the high streets.

　　"Our years of business experience have proved that Shanghai women have a liking for intimate shopping environments and personalized services," she said.