April 18, 2025
Retail companies and manufacturers of consumer products currently are navigating a complex array of challenges. The retail landscape is shifting due to consumer expectations, government regulations, environmental concerns and business pressure to support multiple sales channels.
UL Solutions opened a new Retail and Consumer Products Laboratory in Ningbo, China, on March 25, continuing its strategy of launching facilities near some of the world’s major business and manufacturing centers. The opening comes 13 months after UL Solutions opened the 100,000-square-foot Retail Center of Excellence in northwestern Arkansas, a major hub for retail operations.
“Today’s opening of our new Ningbo laboratory demonstrates our dedication to safety and excellence in the retail industry,” said Jennifer Scanlon, president and CEO of UL Solutions. “Our investment here is a testament to how we are advancing our capabilities, expertise and infrastructure to help enable retailers’ success, both now and in the future.”
The 58,000-square-foot laboratory in Ningbo offers a comprehensive suite of safety, quality, performance and chemical testing capabilities for textiles, apparel, footwear, furniture and electronics, helping to streamline the testing process. Enhanced capabilities — such as newly added furniture flammability testing — support manufacturers from design to market launch.
“Our facility in Ningbo is one of several major investments UL Solutions has made in the retail industry, including our digital tools, technical expertise and extensive global network of testing laboratories,” said Josh Warren, vice president and general manager of Retail and Consumer Products at UL Solutions. “These investments came about because we listened closely to our customers and then responded with innovative methods to help them meet compliance requirements, evaluate quality and safety data, access new markets and build consumer trust.”
The Ningbo laboratory is located near UL Solutions’ existing 65,000-square-foot Retail and Consumer Test Laboratory in Shanghai. That facility tests items ranging from personal care products and jewelry to luggage and toys. The laboratory’s services include restricted substance and chemical testing, functional and performance testing, stability testing, chemical management and ingredient reviews.
UL Solutions recently added enhanced capabilities at the Shanghai facility to address cosmetics, dietary supplements, and over-the-counter and pharmaceutical medications.
As a global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions supports the global retail and consumer product industry by helping stakeholders adapt to changes in sourcing strategies, regulatory compliance and demand for sustainable and innovative products. UL Solutions can help customers mitigate complex risks associated with product manufacturing. For example, innovations in product materials might improve performance, but they also could have the potential to introduce new safety concerns.
The opening of the Ningbo laboratory exemplifies UL Solutions’ strategy of “meeting customers where they are,” with infrastructure investments that can increase efficiency and provide localized expertise around the world.
UL Solutions offers retail and consumer product testing at numerous laboratories located near major retail and manufacturing centers in the United States and around the world. The company’s global network of dedicated facilities comprises sites in Cabiate, Italy (near Milan); Dhaka, Bangladesh; Gurugram, India; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Shenzhen, China.
To learn more, visit UL Solutions’ General Consumer Merchandise Testing web page.
Photo caption: Jennifer Scanlon, president and CEO of UL Solutions (at right) and Weifang Zhou, EVP and president of Testing, Inspection and Certification (second from right) and other executives listen as Roy Poon, Asia Pacific regional operations director for Retail and Consumer Products, describes equipment that tests the performance of furniture during a March 25 tour of the company’s Retail and Consumer Products Laboratory in Ningbo, China.