MALAYSIA. Malaysia Airports-owned travel retailer Eraman has opened a striking new beauty concept comprising four leading brands from The Estée Lauder Companies at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA). The 67sq m stand-alone space in Level 3 of the International Departures Hall features Jo Malone, La Mer, MAC and Tom Ford.
Malaysia Airports (Niaga) General Manager Zulhikam Ahmad said: “We are excited to be part of this tripartite collaboration with Estée Lauder and Malaysia Airports. This is a first for Eraman, [to have] four dedicated monogram concept boutiques introduced outside KLIA. For Malaysia Airports, it enhances the commercial landscape of the International Departure Hall at KKIA.”
The four brands are highly popular with Chinese tourists, added Zulhikam. Chinese represent the second largest shopping nationality for the retailer after Malaysians.
There is direct air access from China to Sabah with Air Asia, China Southern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and Shanghai Airlines. According to Sabah Tourism, nearly 431,000 tourists from China visited the state in H1 2018, a +44.2% increase compared to the same period last year.
“Our trendy new boutique is the perfect haven to offer a wide variety of perfumes, cosmetics and skincare to our passengers,” said Zulhikam. “Couple that with competitive pricing and the acceptance of Alipay and Union Pay International for ease of payment. We look forward to increased sales that drive a greater bottom line for Eraman in the next quarter.”
Malaysia Airports Senior General Manager for Commercial Services Nazli Aziz said: “We aim to make Malaysia a global hub of choice for travellers. To make that happen, we are committed to providing comprehensive retail offerings and various engaging activities to capture the imagination of the travellers at all our airports. Therefore, the opening of these four monogram concept boutiques featuring exclusive brands at KKIA is timely and fits perfectly into our vision of embracing the future of airport retail.”
Estée Lauder Travel Retail APAC Senior Vice President and General Manager Javier Simon said: “Estée Lauder Travel Retail APAC is proud to participate in upgrading the retail environment at Kota Kinabalu International Airport. This is a true partnership between Malaysia Airports, Eraman and the brands to work together in enhancing consumer satisfaction for tourists and locals alike in Kota Kinabalu.”
The P&C category is pivotal to Eraman, Zulhikam noted. In the first half of 2018, Eraman’s beauty sales in Malaysia grew by +15% year-on-year, with the major contributions from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Klia2.
