American food in Shanghai: Costco, groceries, NFL

Shanghai has Costco, Sam's Club and grocery delivery in 30 minutes. What it doesn't have anymore is City Shop, the imported grocer many longtime expats still mention, and the NFL schedule means your Sunday game is a Monday morning thing.

The short version

Costco opened its first mainland China warehouse in Shanghai on August 27, 2019, and the crowds were so big it closed early on day one [1].
City Shop, the imported-food chain many guides still recommend, closed all its Shanghai stores on April 16, 2024 [2]. Older lists that send you there are out of date.
Sam's Club runs dozens of stores in China [3], and app-based grocers such as Alibaba's Freshippo (Hema) deliver in under 30 minutes [4].
American-style restaurants are easy to find. Element Fresh, founded in Shanghai in 2001 by two Americans, is one long-running example [5].
The NFL's Sunday afternoon games air in the early hours of Monday morning in Shanghai, and the Super Bowl lands on a Monday morning.

Groceries: what's here and what's gone

Costco

Costco opened its first warehouse in China in Shanghai on August 27, 2019. So many people turned up that it had to close after a couple of hours [1]. Interest cooled after the opening rush, and Costco had seven warehouses in China as of November 2025 [1].

For Americans, it's the closest thing to a Saturday morning run back home: big packs, imported brands and the treasure-hunt feel. Exactly which US products are stocked varies, so don't count on finding your favorite. A few things to know:

Membership. You'll need a membership for the China warehouses. Ask at the membership desk whether your US card works and what the local fee is; we couldn't confirm either on an official page.
Payment. Bring a payment method that works locally. The State Department notes that fewer places in China accept foreign credit cards than before [6], so set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a Chinese bank card first.
Getting there. Warehouses sit outside the city center. Most people come by car or ride-hail, or have friends with a car split the trip.

Sam's Club

Walmart's Sam's Club is big in China, with 48 locations nationwide according to one encyclopedia count [3]. Like Costco, it sells imported brands in bulk. Check its app for the stores closest to your neighborhood and whether they deliver to you.

City Shop: closed since 2024

For years City Shop (城市超市) was the go-to for imported food in Shanghai. Founded in July 1995, it specialized in imported goods and once ran 13 stores in Shanghai and 2 in Beijing [2]. On April 16, 2024, all its Shanghai stores stopped operating, and the company voted to dissolve [2]. If a blog post, relocation package or older guide tells you to grab Thanksgiving fixings at City Shop, it's out of date.

Delivery apps and supermarkets

Much of Shanghai's grocery shopping happens on a phone. Alibaba's Freshippo (Hema, 盒马) runs supermarkets where you can order online and have groceries delivered in under 30 minutes, and you can have seafood cooked in the store [4]. Big local supermarkets and online platforms also carry imported cereal, cheese, peanut butter and baking supplies. The apps are mostly in Chinese, so a translation tool helps. Search by brand name in English; it often works.

Where	What it's good for	Heads-up
Costco	Bulk packs and imported brands	Membership needed; outside the center [1]
Sam's Club	Bulk imports	Check which store serves your area [3]
Freshippo (Hema)	Fast app delivery, fresh food	App mostly in Chinese [4]
City Shop	Nothing anymore	Closed in Shanghai since April 2024 [2]

Things worth bringing from the States

Some American staples are pricey, hard to find or come in different versions. Expats tend to pack:

favorite spices and seasonings, such as taco mixes and Old Bay
canned pumpkin and pie spice, if you bake for Thanksgiving
particular over-the-counter medicines and vitamins
brand-name snacks and cereals the kids won't do without

Check China's customs rules before packing meat, dairy, fresh produce or seeds, and keep everything sealed in its original packaging.

American restaurants and comfort food

Burgers, pizza, barbecue, brunch and bagels are all on the map in Shanghai, especially in the former French Concession, Jing'an and the expat neighborhoods of Pudong such as Jinqiao. Places open and close quickly, so treat any list, including the ones your friends send, as a starting point and check a delivery app or the venue's social media before you go.

One example with a long history: Element Fresh. Two Americans, Scott Minoie and Sheldon Habiger, founded it in 2001, starting as a juice bar inside a Gold's Gym and growing into a chain of Western, health-minded restaurants headquartered in Jing'an [5]. Our source is an encyclopedia entry, so check which locations are open today.

Big US chains are here too. Shake Shack lists China among its markets [7], and familiar fast-food and coffee chains are on every few blocks. Menus are adapted to local tastes, so expect a few surprises.

Watching the NFL, NBA and college games

The hard part isn't finding a bar. It's the clock. Shanghai is 13 hours ahead of US Eastern Time when the East Coast is on standard time, and 12 hours ahead during daylight saving time. That means:

Game	US Eastern time	Shanghai time
NFL Sunday early games	Sunday 1 p.m.	Monday 1 a.m. (daylight time) or 2 a.m. (standard time)
Sunday Night Football	Sunday 8:20 p.m.	Monday morning, about 8 or 9 a.m.
Monday Night Football	Monday 8:15 p.m.	Tuesday morning
Super Bowl (February)	Sunday evening	Monday morning, on standard time

So the game that's a beer-and-wings afternoon back home becomes a breakfast event here. Super Bowl Monday is a workday in China, so many Americans take the morning off or stream it at the office.

Sports bars that show NFL and NBA games do exist in Shanghai, but they come and go, and we couldn't verify a current list from reliable sources. The most reliable way to find this season's spots, especially for the Super Bowl, is to ask other fans. Streaming the game yourself works too, though many US streaming services need a VPN in China; our guide to the internet in China, VPNs and the Great Firewall explains the rules.

Thanksgiving in Shanghai

Thanksgiving is a regular Thursday in China, so most Americans celebrate on the weekend after. Here's how to pull it off:

Order the turkey early. Whole turkeys are a specialty item. Look at Costco and Sam's Club in early November, and ask imported-food sellers on delivery apps. With City Shop gone, don't count on a walk-in turkey.
Check your oven. Many Shanghai apartments have a small countertop oven or none at all. Measure it before you buy a 14-pound bird, or order a cooked turkey.
Consider a hotel dinner. International hotels often host Thanksgiving buffets or sell turkey dinners to go. Book in October.
Bring the hard-to-find stuff in your suitcase: canned pumpkin, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix.
Go potluck. It's how most expat Thanksgivings work, and it's the best way to meet people.

Want a seat at a Friendsgiving or a fellow early riser for the Super Bowl? Ask in our community group for Americans in China.

American food in Shanghai: where to shop, what changed and how to watch the game