■ Hainan Daily reporter Zhou Xiaomeng Ji Sijia
At around 9 a.m. on October 28, outside the CDF Haikou International Duty Free City (hereinafter referred to as Duty Free City), the "shoppers" lined up in a long queue, waiting for the door to open.
, the world's largest single duty-free shop, officially opened on this day and became a "new member" on the list of Hainan's offshore duty-free shops. "We have been looking forward to this project for a long time. This brand-new duty-free city will allow tourists to experience the most unusual shopping experience." Olivier Salmon, vice president of beauty and tourism retail at LVMH Dior , said at the opening ceremony. The "unlocking" of this new duty-free shopping landmark undoubtedly brings new expectations to Hainan's offshore duty-free market, and more "undeveloped potential" will be tapped.
On October 28, cdf Haikou International Duty Free City opened.
The atmosphere on the first day of opening is very popular
After 10:30 in the morning that day, the duty-free city opened to welcome guests, and crowds flocked in. The originally huge space was filled with sounds - accents from all over the world, consultations in front of popular counters, and switching background music instantly filled the hot shopping atmosphere.
only looks at the atmosphere, which is far from enough. Let’s look at all kinds of products in the bright window, large fashionable posters, crowds of well-known international and domestic brands, and people who choose products, and feel the consumers’ enthusiasm for “buy, buy, buy, buy”.
In the electronics area, the checkout team is more than 100 meters long and is lined up outside the door. "This is the latest mobile phone. We went to Changsha to many physical stores and couldn't buy it. Today, I finally got it in the duty-free city." Peng Xin and Cheng Yuanyuan from Hunan are a couple born in the 1995s. When they learned that the duty-free city was about to open, they started making strategies two months in advance.
Customers are purchasing duty-free fragrance products. Our reporter Zhang Mao took a photo of
"We have prepared a total budget of 30,000 yuan. In addition to buying a mobile phone, we also have to buy skin care products. We rented a car specifically. After visiting the duty-free city today, we plan to spend a week on Hainan Island ." Cheng Yuanyuan said.
Chen Guoqiang, general manager of China Tourism Group China Duty Free Co., Ltd., is very confident about the popularity and attractiveness of the duty-free city after its opening. "We hope to create a one-stop duty-free shopping destination for consumers that is worth spending time," said Chen Guoqiang.
Experience the new immersive shopping experience
has a consensus on the creation of one-stop duty-free shopping destinations. "In the duty-free city, the Shiseido brand has opened the largest travel retail boutique. Skin Key launched its first travel retail boutique 'Radiant22'; Infusa (IPSA) launched its first travel retail boutique featuring customized beauty secret recipes and digital interactive content; Nars' new generation stores debuted. We hope to join hands with China Duty Group in Hainan again to welcome the 'new golden age' of luxury travel retail." Philip Lesne, president and CEO of Shiseido Tourism Retail, pointed out.
Customers are purchasing duty-free beauty products. Photo by Zhang Mao, Hainan Daily reporter
L'Oreal Group also values this "stage". "The opening of the duty-free city will set a new standard for the tourism retail industry." Vincent Boyne, member of the Executive Committee of L'Oreal Tourism Retail, introduced that here, L'Oreal Group has displayed a full product portfolio, including 20 brands from high-end cosmetics and medical skin care specialization and popular beauty products, hoping to better serve Chinese consumers.
This is just a microcosm. 5 global exclusive customized brand stores, 7 global first stores, more than 50 global latest concept design brand stores, 25 Hainan duty-free stores first brands, and 78 Hainan offshore duty-free CDF exclusive brands... Many first stores and exclusive brands in the duty-free city have appeared simultaneously, aiming to allow consumers to experience a new immersive shopping experience without going abroad.
, and the series of practices such as "moving" museums and Michelin brand food into duty-free cities and innovative compound business consumption scenarios, are to empower one-stop duty-free shopping destinations from another dimension, and to meet the one-stop needs of consumers for "eating, accommodation, transportation, travel, shopping, and entertainment", they create a world-class leisure shopping complex and a new internet celebrity check-in place.
"We are full of confidence in the Hainan market"
Offshore duty-free shopping is the key core policy of Hainan Free Trade Port , and it is also an important tool to drive the return of high-end overseas consumption and consumption upgrades.
On October 27, according to Haikou Customs statistics, since the implementation of the new Hainan off-island duty-free policy on July 1, 2020, as of September 30, 2022, the customs supervised off-island duty-free sales amount of 96.6 billion yuan, sold 133 million pieces, and 13.07 million shopping passengers.
Looking at the new changes and new data, some people have gained insight into the development potential of Hainan's tourism retail market. Sha Lemeng said that Hainan has become an emerging market that international companies pay great attention to, and consumers are very happy to discover new products and fashionable qualities. "As a brand, we are full of confidence in the Hainan market," he said.
KPMG China Hainan managing partner Zhang Lanlan pointed out that while the overall sales of duty-free licensees in Hainan continue to grow, more and more brands are entering Hainan to set up local networks. From the regional penetration of major brands, the reconstruction of supply chain resilience, and the empowerment of customer experience, we can see the enthusiasm of major brands to participate in the construction of Hainan market.
"Looking forward, major brands pay close attention to the major business model changes brought about by this series of changes, actively expand the combination of business scenarios suitable for operating in Hainan, and drive the core of sustainable growth in the future." Zhang Lanlan said that there are more possibilities in Hainan's tourism retail market.
