On your marks, get set, spend - shopping habits, store sites change rapidly

Fast fashion is so quick off the mark, it's leaving the luxury brands behind, reports Shi Jing from Shanghai

Even though fast-fashion brands have long been denounced as copycats of luxury apparel, the latter is now finding itself behind the development pace of the younger upstarts, especially in China.

Japanese lifestyle brand MUJI opened 42 stores last year to realize its goal of having 100 outlets in China by the end of 2013. Japanese fast-fashion brand Uniqlo has meanwhile been boldly mapping out its 1,000-shop plan in China.