CHINA. January 15 was a red-letter day for Hainan Development Holdings’ Global Premium Duty Free (GDF) Plaza, as the prominent Hainan Free Trade Port travel retailer celebrated its one-year anniversary.
Various celebrations and promotional activities attracted large numbers of tourists and Hainan residents. As reported, GDF Plaza opened on 31 January, 2021 but with Chinese New Year falling early in 2022 (1 February), it was decided to kick-off the extensive anniversary celebrations in advance.
From 15 January until the end of February, GDF Plaza is hosting a series of themed activities featuring an array of international brands, for example a pop-up store from French fragrance house Kilian. There, tourists can check out the renowned Kilian Photo Studio while experiencing Kilian scents.
The Moodie Davitt Report is bringing you extensive coverage of the anniversary activities, starting on 15 January with an exclusive video (below) in association with Hainan Hinews Media Co, The Moodie Davitt Report’s strategic partner in Hainan province. Click here for our weekend coverage in association with Hainan Hinews, which tracks GDF Plaza’s first year in business.
[Click on the YouTube icon to view the film, courtesy of Lu Tianqin, Chief TV Host of Hinews.cn Media and Head of the Duty Free Channel. It is also being shown on the highly popular New Hainan app and Nanhai website (Nanguo Metropolitan Daily). The video features an interview with Lim Guek Boon (Casey Lim), pictured above, Vice President of Global Consumer Boutique (Hainan) Trading Co Ltd, which oversees GDF Plaza.]
GDF Plaza also welcomed the opening of China’s largest duty free flagship store for luxury Cognac brand Hennessy on 15 January. Gruppo Campari-owned single malt Scotch whisky The Glen Grant is providing customers with exclusive gifts and customised medals, while Martell, Rémy Martin and other spirits and wine brands are hosting tasting activities during the celebrations.
With the Chinese Spring Festival approaching, Chinese liquor brands such as Guojiao 1573, Gujing Gongjiu, and Luzhou Laojiao, which are highly popular with Chinese consumers, have all made timely recent debuts with GDF Plaza.
In 2021, GDF Plaza successfully finished the openings of its first and second phases, with the overall area expanding from 3,000sq m to over 30,000sq m. Categories include cosmetics, fragrances, wines & spirits, consumer technology, sunglasses, luggage, fashion & accessories, toys, watches, jewellery and more.
The retailer has increased its range of international front-line brands from 100 in the first phase to nearly 300 in phase two.
Third phase to open in 2022
The surge in brand availability has in turn driven a sharp increase in sales with GDF Plaza’s revenue in Q4 2021 rising +125% over the previous quarter.
“In 2022, we will further expand the cooperation between the offshore duty free industry and other industries, including medical care, education, cultural performances, sports events and business exhibitions, to further enhance the influence of Hainan’s offshore duty free industry,” said a GDF Plaza spokesperson. “We will also take the initiative to visit other provinces across the country to promote Hainan Free Trade Port’s duty free industry.”
The spokesperson said that the third-phase development of GDF Plaza in the Haikou Mova Plaza’s Capricorn building will open in 2022. The retailer plans to focus on brand differentiation while continuing to introduce more premium international brands in beauty, electronics, liquor, fashion and accessories and other categories, providing consumers with a richer assortment and a unique shopping experience.
Such efforts will help promote the steady and long-term development of Hainan Free Trade Port’s offshore duty free sector, HTDF pledged.
Footnote (1): Every fortnight The Moodie Davitt Report publishes Hainan Curated, in association with Foreo, a selection of all recent stories from the offshore duty free sector in Hainan province.
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