CHINA. The Moodie Davitt Report’s weekly WeChat Official Account continues to develop its presence in the key China travel retail market with the total number of followers rising by +25.6% in the two months between 28 June and 28 August to 1,369. That is on top of very strong Chinese readership of our main English language platform, MoodieDavittReport.com
The title, published every Monday, is published under the direction of Penelope Zhou, our Hong Kong-based Chinese Editor, and company Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie, also based in Hong Kong.
The Moodie Davitt Report is the only international travel retail media title to offer a WeChat platform.
“The latest numbers represent an excellent and growing penetration of a niche sector and a welcome complement to the strong Chinese readership of our English language services,” said The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie. “Increasingly we are being approached by Chinese travel retailers to post their stories on WeChat as well as our main website, a strong vindication of our duality strategy.
“We are continuing to invest in our services for and about the key China market. Bolstered by the strength of our local partnership in Hainan with the Hainan Hinews Media Co, which is enabling us to bring an unrivalled immediacy and local insight to our coverage, we are determined to take the quality of our offer to our Chinese readers to an exciting new level.”
For editorial or native content enquiries please contact Publisher Irene Revilla at Irene@MoodieDavittReport.com.
Here are some highlights of the past two editions.
Virtual Travel Retail Expo attracts strong China interest
Chinese travel retailers and airports can register free of charge for the Virtual Travel Retail Expo to be held from 11-15 October. Several Chinese companies are also exhibiting in the main Retailer Emporium, the Hainan Discovery zone and the Exhibitor Pavilion.
Among them are China Duty Free Group, which has become the exclusive Strategic Cooperation Partner for the event and Lagardère Travel Retail China, which has become a Platinum Partner in the Hainan Discovery zone. Sector newcomer Wangfujiang Duty Free has also signed as a partner and two further major announcements will be made in coming days.
The dedicated zone is one of the highlights of the 2021 Expo, the follow-up to the hugely successful 2020 event. As reported, Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development (Hainan IEDB) is the official Host of the Hainan Discovery zone, as well as being an Expo co-organiser alongside The Moodie Davitt Report and FILTR.QINGWA.
CDFG will have its own dedicated digital area in the Expo, called CDFG City, where it will showcase some of its most exciting current and planned projects. A gateway presence to CDFG City will feature in both the Hainan Discovery zone and the Retailer Emporium.
The CDFG management, buying, branding and merchandising teams will be out in full force at the Expo, both in CDFG City and to visit the various brand exhibitors. CDFG President Charles Chen will also deliver the morning keynote address in the Knowledge Hub on the first day of the Expo.
Hainan Hinews Media Co, Hainan’s leading media house and The Moodie Davitt Report’s strategic partner in Hainan, will be covering the Virtual Travel Retail Expo exhibitors and activities.
Hainan Hinews’ coverage of the event – which will be a combination of live and delayed reporting – will be led by star Hainan media personality Lu Tian Qin, Chief TV Host of Hinews.cn Media. Tian Qin is also Head of the Duty Free Channel on the hugely popular 新海南 (New Hainan) app, which has had over 2 million downloads.
Hainan Tourism Investment Duty Free Co, Laox and Hylink inaugurate powerful partnership
In another big development for Hainan Duty Free, Hainan Laox Supply Chain Management Co — a new subsidiary of Hainan Tourism Investment Duty Free Co Ltd (HTDF) — was inaugurated at a signing ceremony on 5 August.
Hainan Laox Supply Chain Management Co is a partnership between Hainan Tourism Investment Duty Free Co; Laox Shanghai Co — the Chinese arm of leading Japanese retailer and cross-border ecommerce operator Laox; and powerful Chinese digital full-service agency and global marketing giant Hylink Digital Solutions Co.
The three partners said that the joint venture will specialise in the import, distribution and retail business of duty free goods. The partnership is committed to being a high-quality service provider, offering consumers an expanded and more diverse range of high-quality and high-value products.
Hainan Development Holdings introduces new brands to GDF Plaza for phase two opening
The WeChat report also recapped some of the biggest new openings and activations in Hainan Duty Free. Hainan Development Holdings’ Global Premium Duty Free Plaza (GDF Plaza) is introducing a wide array of new brands as it prepared for the opening of phase two of its Haikou Mova Mall store at the end of August (see our report from the inauguration here).
The 30,000sq m Phase II is in the Aquarius building with GDF Plaza adding over 200 top global brands across categories including fragrance, cosmetics, digital products, sunglasses, watches, jewellery and other luxurious brands.
GDF Plaza opened the first phase on 31 January this year, introducing a range of world-renowned brands in some 3,000sq m of space in Capricorn — along with Aquarius one of two buildings in the Mova Mall. The project’s third phase, located on the first and second floors of Capricorn, is now in the planning stages.
Victoria’s Secret opens in style in downtown Sanya
Victoria’s Secret Travel Retail has teamed up with regular partner Lagardère Travel Retail to open the brand’s first store in the Hainan Tourism Investment Duty Free Co-controlled Hainan Tourism Duty Free Shopping Complex (海旅免税城) in downtown Sanya.
The 150sq m store features a wide assortment of the brand’s most in-demand beauty products, such as its popular Bombshell fragrance and the all-new Natural Beauty collection. Victoria’s Secret signature panties and apparel, as well as accessories are also on offer.
Van Cleef & Arpels pop-up boutique debuts with China Duty Free Group in Sanya
Van Cleef & Arpels, the renowned Richemont Group-owned luxury French jewellery house, officially opened its pop-up store in the CDFG Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex on 1 August.
The pop-up, the brand’s first in China, will remain open until 31 March 2022, allowing Van Cleef & Arpels and China Duty Free Group (CDFG) to send exclusive Sanya ‘lucky blessings’ to domestic and foreign visitors.
Following the successful launch of the ‘Lucky Alhambra’ pop-up store – a reference to the Lucky Alhambra jewellery creations, first launched in 2006 and inspired by nature, one of the luxury house’s favourite themes – Van Cleef & Arpels will also officially launch its first duty free flagship store with CDFG in Sanya at the end of this year.
Foreo and CDFG show their love with Chinese Valentine’s Day promotion
Foreo partnered with China Duty Free Group (CDFG) to launch a promotional campaign this month in celebration of Chinese Valentine’s Day (14 August).
The campaign ran from 1 to 14 August at the Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex, Haikou Mova Mall and on the CDF Duty Free App. To celebrate the ‘Qixi Festival’, the traditional Chinese celebration of love which is marked on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar, Foreo gifted customers a special flower gift card for every purchase of RMB2,000 (US$308) or above. The campaign took a 360 degree approach to celebrating Chinese Valentine’s Day, while also increasing Foreo’s brand awareness in the key travel retail hotspot of Hainan.
FAQ hosts inaugural VIP Spa Event at Sukothai Hotel Shanghai
Elsewhere in China, pioneering anti-aging brand FAQ hosted its inaugural VIP event at The Sukothai Hotel in Shanghai, China. FAQ welcomed 20 VIP guests to experience the powerful anti-aging features of FAQ first-hand through a range of personalised treatments.
In addition, FAQ partnered with the Retreat Spa at The Sukothai Hotel in Shanghai, to exclusively offer the ‘Swiss Facial Rejuvenation Treatment’ for a limited time.
The 30-minute treatment promises to transform aging skin and create a more toned and radiant V-shaped contour using the FAQ 102 device. The treatment was launched on 10 July and is available until 9 October. The partnership with The Sukothai Hotel Shanghai underscores FAQ and Foreo’s commitment to offering exclusive, luxury experiences for travellers.
FAQ, which made its travel retail debut at the hugely successful Virtual Travel Retail Expo last year, is described as the first brand to truly harness the full power of clinical machines into a sleek handheld format.
The Moodie View
Finally, in his latest ‘The Moodie View’ column, The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie shares his insights into how China is leading the way in terms of COVID-19 pandemic responses.
He says “China’s strategy in curbing the latest COVID-19 outbreak, spurred by the highly infectious Delta variant, shows the world what can be achieved via a combination of strong and swift action. It also augurs well for the country’s vital domestic travel retail and duty free business.
“Encouragingly, no new cases have been reported in either of China’s travel retail hotspots, Hainan and Macau since 5 August and 3 August, respectively, according to the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China.
He added, “In more news with important repercussions for the travel retail sector, the country’s battle against the latest outbreak has taken a turn for the better.”
