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Tag: King Power

  • King Power revamps Bangkok airport retail precinct

    King Power revamps Bangkok airport retail precinct

    King Power is set to unveil a revamped store at Suvarnabhumi airport today, building on its collaborations with global luxury brands.

    Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, chief executive of King Power Group, said his company was ready to welcome international travelers while also enhancing the airport’s reputation as a regional aviation hub.

    “On April 1, King Power is ready to welcome both arriving and departing travelers of all market segments, following our mission to implement a thorough store refurbishment,” Mr Aiyawatt said.

    “The makeover is inspired by our renowned banner ‘World Junction’ that has branched out into world fashion, world beauty, and world duty-free — all converging to create the ‘Duty-Free, World-Class Shopping Destination’, a phenomenon that will make Suvarnabhumi the perfect regional aviation center.”

    He added that this campaign would reinforce the image of Suvarnabhumi airport as a leading hub of world-class flagship stores of luxury products, as well as the region’s top airport duty-free operator.

    Furthermore, King Power has partnered with legendary fashion houses, including Louis Vuitton and Gucci.

    Louis Vuitton will open its first store at the airport, while Gucci will use a video wall display to advertise its goods at Gucci’s Suvarnabhumi store. This makes Gucci the first LED shop in an Asian airport.

    The renovation also gathers more than 20 flagship stores of world-leading luxury brands, such as Cartier, Hermes, Ferragamo, Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Celine, Loewe, and Rimowa.

    King Power’s refurbished World Beauty zone will also feature brands such as Chanel, SKII, Lancôme, Estee Lauder and Dior.

    Moreover, King Power has also revamped the entire World Duty-Free area into a hub for popular items like spirits and liquors, snacks, local and international souvenirs as well as Thai community products.

    As for the airport terminal services, King Power will have a renovated The Atlas Club and King Power Space for its members too.

  • King Power Thailand sales axed 50 percent

    King Power Thailand sales axed 50 percent

    Thai duty-free retailer King Power is anticipating a drop in sales revenues of 50 percent in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

    The firm has attempted to drum up business while international travel is largely frozen via an online sales strategy, but it has not been able to offset the steep fall in business with online revenues contributing just 10 percent of total business, far short of the hoped-for 20 percent.

    Just two King Power outlets out of 11 nationwide have reopened since the Covid-19 outbreak.

    “Despite the huge sales drop, we don’t have any plans to lay off any of our 11,000 staff,” said King Power CEO Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha. “Instead, we assigned them to sell King Power products via their own social media accounts and via King Power online.”

    Aiyawatt is a participant in the Thai government’s Thailand Smiles with You campaign, promoting the nation’s image and economic prospects during global recovery via the English Premier League team Leicester City FC, which Aiyawatt chairs.

    “As Thais, we are proud to cooperate with the government in mitigating the adversity and supporting projects that will both, directly and indirectly, benefit our country’s economic and social wellbeing,” said Aiyawatt, “hoping that it will lead us through this crisis safe and sound”.

    The campaign will see the phrase “Thailand Smiles With You” on Leicester City football team jerseys and signboards throughout the 2020–21 season.

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  • King Power Thailand Acquires More Monopolis

    King Power Thailand Acquires More Monopolis

    King Power Thailand has won extended exclusive rights to operate at three additional Thai airports for a further 10 years.

    The firm won tenders for Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai airports, just a week following a win at the country’s main international airport at Suvarnabhumi near Bangkok.

    The contracts were subject to some criticism from observers such as the Thai Retailers Association, who were hoping to see Airports of Thailand bring greater competition to the US$2.1 billion duty-free retail sector. The airport operator responded to criticism in saying King Power had submitted the best proposal above close rivals Lotte Group and Dufry.

    In short, King Power bought the rights, the cost of which will inevitably be passed on to travellers. Rival companies have called for a “more opaque” tender process.

    The tenders reaffirm King Power’s status as effectively the only duty-free store provider at major airports in Thailand.

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  • King Power Bangkok airport retail monopoly to stretch longer

    King Power Bangkok airport retail monopoly to stretch longer

    Hopes of opening up the duty-free and retail monopoly at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport have been dashed after Airports of Thailand (AOT) announced the incumbent operator had lodged the highest bid to retain the business.

    While still subject to final ratification by the AOT board, King Power has effectively bought a monopoly on duty-free business at the airport for another decade.

    King Power Duty Free has held the rights since the airport opened in 2006, and was competing to continue when the current contract expires next year through until 2031.

    “The company that scored the highest is King Power Duty Free Company and the winner offered the highest return than what AOT has received before and higher than AOT estimate (sic),” said Wichai Bunyu, senior executive VP at AOT, in a statement.

    Two rival bidders were hoping for a share of the action in what is a lucrative monopoly with prices unmonitored or regulated. The losing bidders were a joint venture between Bangkok Airways and South Korea’s Lotte, and another involving Royal Orchid Hotel Thailand, Empire Asia Group and a subsidiary of World Duty Free Group.

    Leading Thai retail business Central Group and Minor International did not submit bids before the deadline.

    Having selected the winning bidder, the appointment process is a mere formality, subject to ratification of AOT’s remuneration committee next week. According to Reuters, that will decide the technical score and revenue King Power would share with AOT before the board of directors officially approves the winner on June 19.

    The Thai government had ordered a review of duty-free auction period amid monopoly concerns after more than a decade of dominance by King Power. But that apparently had no effect.

    The winning bidders to operate duty-free shops at Chang Mai, Hat Yai and Phuket airports were expected to be released today (June 3) with King Power almost certain to win those contracts as well.

  • WH Smith expands King Power partnership into Singapore

    WH Smith expands King Power partnership into Singapore

    WH Smith has widened its franchise partnership with King Power Group (Hong Kong) to Singapore.

    Until now, the franchise partnership deal struck last year covered Hong Kong only.

    The new partnership aims to grow WH Smith’s presence in Singapore and explore opportunities in rail and metro stations, ferry terminals and commercial centres. It excludes airport locations which WH Smith will continue to run directly.

    “We believe in the strength of the WH Smith brand and its business expertise as a leading international news, books and convenience operator,” said King Power MD for travel retail and duty free, Sunil Tuli.

    “The King Power Group has more than 25 years’ travel retail business presence in Asia, and we are well placed to develop the WH Smith business in Singapore.”

    “We are pleased to have extended our partnership with King Power Group,” said WH Smith MD international, Phil McNally. “We continue to be ambitious about expanding the WH Smith brand in Asia and, today, we are active and strongly growing in six countries in the region – in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, India and China.”

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  • L’Oréal Paris revamps its store at the Bangkok King Power Downtown II Srivaree

    L’Oréal Paris revamps its store at the Bangkok King Power Downtown II Srivaree

    The makeover of the L’Oréal Paris store in King Power Downtown II Srivaree is the latest in a series of important openings at L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific. Unlike anything Bangkok has ever seen before, the expanded flagship store is the biggest L’Oréal Paris store worldwide. This new design concept officially invites travelers to an elevated shopping experience to discover L’Oréal Paris’ accessible luxury products for both men and women.

    Having undergone a major transformation, the 110 square meter flagship store offers a wide range of make-up and skincare for men and women with a best-in-class retail experience. The space expansion now welcomes travelers with three contrasting zones – the first ever L’Oréal Paris make-up boutique in Travel Retail Asia Pacific, Revitalift Classic Red Carpet Zone and a dedicated Exclusive Men skincare area.

    The make-up boutique invites travelers to discover a wide range of make-up offers with a strong color appeal and a large LED screen to express L’Oréal Paris’ creativity. Products at the Revitalift zone take center stage, while the Men Expert area in black color tone is focused on men’s specific needs.

    “We are extremely delighted to relaunch our L’Oréal Paris store with King Power International on a scale that has never been seen before. Thailand is one of the most exciting markets with thriving tourism, and we see great potential in the first L’Oréal Paris flagship store in Travel Retail worldwide,” says Emmanuel Goulin, Managing Director of L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific.

    “This is a celebratory moment of our strong partnership with L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific in bringing a first-class duty free shopping experience to millions of Chinese tourists. We are optimistic that the biggest L’Oréal Paris store worldwide will continue to attract more shoppers, confirming King Power Downtown II Srivaree as an exceptional retail destination,” says Susan Whelan, Senior Executive Vice President at King Power International.

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  • King Power monopoly ending at Bangkok’s airport

    King Power monopoly ending at Bangkok’s airport

    Thailand’s much-maligned airport duty-free monopoly appears set to be nearing an end.

    For years, major Thai retailers have complained that incumbent operator King Power has controlled the retail offer – and prices – at Thailand’s largest airports, especially Suvarnabhumi outside Bangkok. Frequent travellers often comment that airport ‘duty-free’ prices are higher than at other airports in the region, including Singapore and Hong Kong.

    On Wednesday, state-owned Airports of Thailand (AOT) approved guidelines for concessions for duty-free and commercial activities at its airports, the first step in opening up retail spaces to other companies.

    According to Reuters, AOT will offer three retail licences at an upcoming auction, clearing the way for Thai retail giants Central Group and The Mall Group, along with South Korea’s Hotel Shilla, to enter the fray.

    King Power’s current licence ends next year.

    AOT says contracts will cover duty-free retail, commercial businesses such as food and beverage outlets and pick-up counters for shoppers who buy goods in town and collect them at the airport after clearing customs and immigration.

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  • Lancome Bangkok pop up store in a fantasy wonderland

    Lancome Bangkok pop up store in a fantasy wonderland

    Lancome’s fantasy wonderland pop‑up at Bangkok King Power Rangnam, featuring the brand’s first ever interactive LED projection, will come to a close on March 10.

    The Chinese New Year Lancome pop-up was launched on February 4 following the success of Lancome’s festivities at King Power Rangnam the previous year. In keeping with the brand’s stated commitment to “empower women to express their best selves”, Lancome’s “Wish Big” pop-up featured a state-of-the-art LED installation that went up to the atrium ceiling, surrounded by floating lanterns symbolising wishes rising into the heavens.

    Guests enjoy real-time interaction with the retail design as they walk around the 10‑metre-long LED installation. The wonderland-inspired design is fully integrated with the entire retail space, allowing Lancome to completely take over of the Rangnam atrium.

    Every single visible touchpoint and the six‑metre-high chateau structure is branded with Lancome’s signature shade of Parisian rouge, wishing visitors a good start to the New Year and contributing to the festive CNY atmosphere.

    The immersive experience in Lancome’s wonderland continues inside the pop-up with a custom “boomerang photo booth” that allows visitors to virtually interact with Lancome products. All photos and videos can be downloaded so visitors can share them on social media. On the other side of the pop‑up, a large LED installation displays a Parisian cityscape that doubles as an interactive game, giving customers  the chance to “catch” floating Lancome products on screen and exchange them for prizes in store.

    “King Power aims to elevate the experience of duty‑free shopping through the careful curation of our retail offerings,” said King Power Group’s senior executive VP Susan Whelan. “Particularly during this holiday season when more people will be travelling, we want to make our customers feel right at home here with us.”

    “We are committed to bringing greater happiness to each and every one of our customers, and we hope that their experience with Lancome here will create more happy moments and happy memories for a wonderful start to the year ahead,” said Lancome Travel Retail Asia Pacific GM Tao Zhang.

    The pop-up also offers travellers a range of exclusive gift-with-purchase, all styled to reflect the flying pig that Lancome has chosen as its symbol for the new year.

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  • King Power duty free monopoly ending soon

    King Power duty free monopoly ending soon

    Thailand’s much-maligned airport duty-free monopoly appears set to be nearing an end. For years, major Thai retailers have complained that incumbent operator King Power has controlled the retail offer – and prices – at Thailand’s largest airports, especially Suvarnabhumi outside Bangkok. Frequent travellers often comment that airport ‘duty-free’ prices are higher than at other airports in the region, including Singapore and Hong Kong.

    On Wednesday, state-owned Airports of Thailand (AOT) approved guidelines for concessions for duty-free and commercial activities at its airports, the first step in opening up retail spaces to other companies.

    According to Reuters, AOT will offer three retail licences at an upcoming auction, clearing the way for Thai retail giants Central Group and The Mall Group, along with South Korea’s Hotel Shilla, to enter the fray.

    King Power’s current licence ends next year.

    AOT says contracts will cover duty-free retail, commercial businesses such as food and beverage outlets and pick-up counters for shoppers who buy goods in town and collect them at the airport after clearing customs and immigration.

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  • Thai’s King Power Duty Free, World’s Leading Airport Duty Free Operator 2018

    Thai’s King Power Duty Free, World’s Leading Airport Duty Free Operator 2018

    Thailand’s King Power Duty Free has won the world’s ultimate accolade for travel, tourism and hospitality industry excellence, voted ‘World’s Leading Airport Duty Free Operator 2018 in the 25th World Travel Awards. King Power Duty Free triumphed ahead of than a hundred duty free operators worldwide including shortlisted finalists China Duty Free Group, Hong Kong’s DFS, Dubai Duty Free, Swiss-based Dufry, Duty Free Americas, Germany’s Heinemann Duty Free, France’s Lagardere Travel Retail, and South Korea’s Lotte Duty Free and The Shilla Duty Free.

    “The award strengthens Thailand’s tourism image as a world class destination while underlining the outstanding capability of a Thai company,” said King Power Group CEO, Mr Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha. “King Power is proud to be Thai and committed to the national travel retail business, setting a new benchmark for world-class duty free shopping experience.”

    Operated by King Power International, King Power Duty Free was earlier voted Asia’s Leading Airport Duty Free Operator 2018 in the regional finals of the World Travel Awards.

    World Travel Award was established in 1993 to annually acknowledge, reward, and celebrate excellence across key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Today the brand is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence, voted by travel, tourism and consumer trade executives.

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  • King Power Traveler to launch inflight duty free with Vietnam Airlines

    King Power Traveler to launch inflight duty free with Vietnam Airlines

    National carrier Vietnam Airlines is set to officially establish an inflight duty free service from October in cooperation with inflight specialist King Power Traveler, the Rakhita Jayawardena-run subsidiary of Hong Kong-based travel retailer King Power Group.

    Over the next five years, the SkyTeam alliance member will cooperate with King Power Traveler to expand and upgrade its Lotushop services to meet Skytrax four-star service standards.

    Skytrax – the well-known airline and airport rating organisation – has ranked Vietnam Airlines as a four-star airline for three consecutive years.

    Vietnam Airlines Executive Vice President Le Hong Ha, said: “The partnership with King Power Traveler demonstrates our efforts to provide passengers with an enhanced duty free retail service, thereby consistently upgrading our four-star service quality through every aspect of the business. We are taking great strides to reach five-star status.”

    The enhanced duty free offer covers categories such as perfume, cosmetics, watches, suitcases and bags. Passengers will be able to shop from their seats on 30 of Vietnam Airlines’ international routes including to the UK, China, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Russia. The airline said that passengers would benefit from average discounts of -5% to -15% compared to domestic retail prices.

    King Power Traveler will also provide extensive training to flight attendants to enhance their sales skills and application of technology.

    Vietnam Airlines operates 90 routes to 20 domestic and 29 international destinations with an average of 400 flights per day.

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  • Royal Dragon Vodka secures King Power Thailand listing

    Royal Dragon Vodka secures King Power Thailand listing

    Royal Dragon Vodka TR agent Yam Seng Pte Ltd has secured a new listing for Royal Dragon Vodka with King Power Thailand.

    The Imperial 1 litre and Elite Flavoured Collection are part of the Royal Dragon Vodka assortment available at departure stores in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

    As reported earlier this month, Yam Seng secured a new listing for the brand with Ever Rich Duty Free in Taiwan.

    Yam Seng Pte Ltd Sales and Marketing Director Jesreen Sidhu said: “We’ve been building Royal Dragon Vodka’s presence across different markets for the past three months and our most recent listing with King Power Thailand is an indication of steady growth.

    “Suvarnabhumi Airport is a strategic location for us as it is a key hub for Southeast Asian travel and receives a growing influx of global tourists.”

    Singapore-based Yam Seng Pte Ltd, a company owned by the Tuli family, is the appointed agent for the ultra-premium vodka brand in selected key duty-free markets.

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  • LANCÔME Spreads Festive Joy At King Power Rangnam

    LANCÔME Spreads Festive Joy At King Power Rangnam

    Lancôme has unveiled its first travel retail pop-up in Asia Pacific, complete with an AR feature.

    The activation at the newly-refurbished King Power Rangnam is to mark the Year of the Dog for the luxury beauty brand. The scheme invovles a red facade, pup-up store, light shows and live performances.

    Lancôme Travel Retail Asia Pacific has looked to create a “multi-sensory festive treat” with the campaign. It begins as shoppers approach the store with red lights illuminating the front façade, inside giant TV screens and a fountain symphony of lights and water choreography greet travellers. At the heart of the mall is the Lancôme pop-up which features a lantern-inspired design and digital offerings which draw in shoppers to explore. Inside, an augmented reality photobooth creates images of users with a virtual puppy, while there is also a touch-screen digital game.The bright red colour is both eye-catching and draws in the Chinese New Year theme.

    Lancôme Travel Retail Asia Pacific general manager Tao Zhang said: “Having been inspired by Lancôme’s Chinese New Year campaign design, we specially conceptualised and brought to life this exclusive Chinese New Year pop-up with King Power. Every touchpoint from the digital LED wall to the pop-up was specially created to excite consumers so we hope that this will deliver a memorable brand experience for our travellers. We look forward to sharing moments and memories of happiness with more women during this festive season.”

    Shoppers will also get their hands on limited edition Chinese New Year offers and travel exclusives at the shop. The event launched on 13 February and will end on 31 March in the atrium of the King Power Rangnam Downtown Duty Free Store.

     

  • King Power Group to relaunch Bangkok complex

    King Power Group to relaunch Bangkok complex

    After a revamp, Thailand travel retailer King Power Group has staged a grand re-opening of its Bangkok duty-free shopping and lifestyle complex King Power Rangnam.

    Redeveloped at a cost of THB2.5 billion (US$74 million), the 22,000sqm landmark offers luxury brands, beauty products, watches, sunglasses and souvenirs. Local specialty products showcase Thailand’s One Tambon [district], One Product (Otop) community program, including handicrafts, food, cotton and silk garments, pottery, fashion accessories and household items.

     

    There is also a street-food showcase as well as international restaurants, while there are venues for conferences and events.

    Thai celebrities attending the grand opening ceremony including King Power’s new global ambassador, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing. Features of the event included a flying acrobatic balloon show from the UK and a multimedia theatrical, art, light, sound and special effects spectacular by Thai choreographer Professor Joe–Sutheesak Bhakdidheva.

    Officiating guests at the opening ceremony of King Power Rangnam were Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Mr Somkid Jatusripitak, CEO of King Power Group, Mr Aiyawatt Sriwaddhanaprabha, Global Ambassador, Ms Fan Bingbing & guests.
    King Power’s new Global Ambassador, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing.

    “The re-opening of King Power Rangnam will herald a new era for Thailand’s duty-free business,” says King Power Group CEO Aiyawatt Sriwaddhanaprabha.

     

  • Shiseido and King Power executes sense of place campaign

    Shiseido and King Power executes sense of place campaign

    Shiseido Travel Retail has partnered with King Power International to deliver a major promotional campaign seeking to capture the unique attractions of Thailand, which will launch the beginning of next month.

    The initiative saw the Shiseido brand collaborate with Thai artist Riety Darisa K and influential Chinese fashion and lifestyle blogger Magic Yang to target Chinese travellers through a 360° programme that included compelling social media and digital content, high-profile in-store activations and travel-retail exclusive products available only at King Power Thailand stores.

    Thailand is one of the most popular overseas destinations for Chinese tourists and the most popular getaway destination during Chinese New Year, with the campaign seeking to appeal to the lucrative Chinese millennials market. Yang, who has a significant social media following, resonates well with the market, regarding her as a key reference point for her personal style, inspired by her love for travel and adventure and the places she visits.

    Yang featured in a promotional film, The Beauty of Thailand, in which she was taken on a tour of the Thai capital Bangkok, featuring subtle references of Shiseido products, as she used some of the products from the brand’s travel-retail range. Her favourite product picks – Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate, Perfect UV Protector SPF 50+ and Rouge Rouge – were presented through three short videos illustrating the product features, adding further impetus to the campaign. Behind-the-scene pictures of her trip to announce the collaboration as well as the film were posted on her popular Weibo and WeChat social media accounts.

    The campaign was strongly supported by King Power Thailand, with amplification on the travel retailer’s website and social media platforms, a dedicated campaign micro-site, as well as advertising that targeted travelers prior to departure.

    The digital activation created significant buzz ahead of the 1 April unveiling of the in-store activations in King Power Thailand’s main store at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport and in the King Power Srivaree Complex (downtown) store. The airport activation, which runs until 31 May, centres on a pop-up store offering complimentary skincare treatments and lip makeovers, as well as a Photo Booth installation where travellers can personalize their photos with Riety’s Thai-inspired visuals to be printed onto their very own customised luggage tags.

    Providing further differentiation and adding to the Sense of Place focus, Shiseido has developed an exclusive skincare set specially curated by Yang and packaged in bespoke sleeves featuring art by Riety. Available only at King Power Thailand stores, the limited edition set includes Magic’s skincare favourites: Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate for Face, which strengthens skin’s health and its ability to resist signs of ageing; and Perfect UV Protector SPF50+/PA++++, featuring powerful sun protection technology that increases in efficacy upon contact with water or perspiration. Customers spending bt14,000 or more can receive a ‘The Beauty of Thailand’ cosmetic bag as a gift with purchase, while those spending more than THB 16,000 can claim an additional Shiseido tote bag.

    King Power International Senior Executive Vice President Susan Whelan said: “King Power International Group has been the leading retailer and duty free airport and downtown operator for several decades, and have always championed partnership initiatives with our leading supplier partners. At the same time, we are passionate about sharing the Kingdom of Thailand’s rich history and unique culture with the world, and we have been instrumental in developing and supporting cultural initiatives throughout this time.”

    “This exciting collaboration initiated by Shiseido perfectly encapsulates the wonders of Thailand, as seen through the eyes of our talented homegrown artist Riety and prominent social media personality Magic Yang,” she continued. “We are delighted with this opportunity to not only strengthen our long partnership with Shiseido, but also enhance our all-important tourism links with key visitors from China.”

    Shiseido Travel Retail vice-president Marketing Elisabeth Jouguelet commented: “Thailand is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists – it is not only a beautiful and enthralling country but a true retail destination in its own right. Through our strong partnership with King Power International and collaboration with Riety and Magic Yang, we have been able to create a platform which brings a genuine Sense of Place to our retail activation. With compelling and engaging content driving awareness of the unique experiences to be enjoyed in Thailand, coupled with the appeal of TREX products and offers at King Power Thailand, we believe this initiative brings together the best of destination marketing and travel retail in a very powerful combination.”

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