Retail News CRM

Tag: Travel Retail

  • New Thai Vietjet route launches to bring more passenger traffic

    New Thai Vietjet route launches to bring more passenger traffic

    New route launches by Thai Vietjet is expected to bring significant increases in passenger traffic between Thailand and Vietnam starting next month. This follows the official announcement that Thai Vietjet has just received the recertified AOC (Air Operator Certificate) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT).

    The new certificate, bestowed to the airline by Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisit, is in line with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) standards. It was presented to Vietjet during a special ceremony with the theme “Let’s Enjoy A New Journey” on November 8.

    The airline also announced a new international route from Bangkok to Dalat – known as the ‘City of Flowers’ and a much-loved mountainous retreat for local and international travelers, particularly from Thailand. Earlier, Thai Vietjet announced that it will introduce two new international routes connecting Phuket and Chiang Mai with Vietnam’s largest tourism and economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City.

    “We believe that the recertification will further reassure the confidence of travelers across the globe in our services and the Thai airline industry as well,” said Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Binh, Thai Vietjet’s management representative. “To further deliver our promise to contribute to the growth of Thai tourism, today I am also pleased to announce the opening of Thai Vietjet’s new international route from Bangkok to Dalat in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The new flight will be launched just before the International Flower Festival of Dalat, which is held in December this year. I am delighted that people from these two countries can now enjoy their neighboring country even more through our expanding flight network.”

    The Transport Minister of Thailand, Mr. Arkhom Termpittayapaisit, said: “Thai Vietjet is the 12th carrier to pass the recertification process since CAAT started to recertify the AOC for airlines. I have witnessed the airline’s dedication on preparing and improving itself to successfully pass the overall operational standards of ICAO. And the new AOC, bestowed to Thai Vietjet today, is a remarkable milestone for the carrier to further prove its safety and services as it spreads its wings and continues to fly further and higher on this journey of sustainable development.”

    Commencing 18 December, 2017, the new Bangkok – Dalat route will be operated by an Airbus A320 with four return flights per week, flying every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The flight departs at 10:45am from Bangkok and returns at 12:45pm from Dalat with a flight time of one hour 45 minutes. One-way fares start from only THB 99 (HKD $23.33) (excluding tax and charges).

    Dalat is the capital city of Lam Dong province, located in the Lang Biang highlands – part of the Central Highlands region of Vietnam – 1,500 meters above sea level. Boasting thick pine forests and verdant valleys of postcard beauty as well charming old French villas, beautiful waterfalls and gorgeous lakes, the city of Dalat has become one of the most favorite destinations in the country and the region, particularly when it comes to winter where flowers blossom in full colors all over the city. Therefore, the city is known to Vietnamese by many lovely names such as Little Paris, the City of Love, the City of Poetry, the Green City.

    Following the newly-launched route to Dalat in December 2017, Thai Vietjet and Vietjet Group will operate a total of six direct routes between Thailand and Vietnam, including Bangkok to Hanoi/ Hai Phong/ Ho Chi Minh City and Dalat and Phuket/Chiang Mai to Ho Chi Minh City.

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  • Lotte Duty Free reveals winter season retail promotions and prizes

    Lotte Duty Free reveals winter season retail promotions and prizes

    The campaign will begin 24 November and continue through to 4 January 2018, as the retailer aims to drive sales over the holiday season and New Year.

    Around 40 brands including fashion and accessories from Bally, Coach, Vivienne Westwood, Marc Jacobs and Tory Birch are on promotion for discounts between 20% and 80% at major downtown Lotte Duty Free shops in South Korea.

    The festive promotion includes the opportunity to win prizes such as tickets to film and music events with minimum purchase. Customers spending over US$2,000 at the Lotte Myeongdong store will be entered into a draw for tickets to the Gwanghwamun Sonata.

    At the Lotte World Tower and COEX stores, tickets to Hamlet: Alive are on offer. Customers spending over US$700 by 10 December at the three stores mentioned will also have the opportunity to attend the movie premiere of With God. VIP tickets for 70 winners (and a guest) to attend the premiere at the Lotte Cinema World Tower Hotel on 18 December are available.

    Lotte’s seasonal programme for customers also includes activities with Korean Wave (hallyu) models and the opportunity to collect pre-paid discount cards.

    Customers spending over US$300 at the Myeongdong, World Tower and COEX stores will receive pre-paid discount cards of up to KRW280,000 (US$221) depending on amount spent.

    For customers who spend more than US$150 with the retailer at either Incheon International and Kimpo Airports, Lotte will present a prepaid discount card of up to KRW140,000 (US$129) and KRW240,000 (US$221) respectively.

    Shoppers spending more than US$200 at Lotte stores can also receive additional discount cards by collecting stamps each time they visit.

    On 1 December, the retailer will present its ‘Lotte Duty Free Shop 2018 Play Calendar’ at the Myeongdong, World Tower, COEX, Busan and Jeju stores. The calendar features images of hallyu stars Lee Min Ho, Lee Jong-suk, Exo and Twis that customers can colour-in with pencils provided.

    The retailer is also running a lottery for five winners to win a flight to Vietnam in celebration of the launch of flights between Incheon and Nha Trang airports. Customers need only spend US$1 at the airport Lotte Duty Free store to enter.

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  • Chinese tourists still missing in Korea, but improvement may be on the horizon

    Chinese tourists still missing in Korea, but improvement may be on the horizon

    China’s frosty economic relationship that includes the travel and tourism exchange with South Korea started to show early signs of a turnaround in recent days.

    According to reports, the long-stagnant economic relationship between South Korea and China, prompted by tensions over the controversial missile defense system that was deployed is showing early signs of a revival, especially in sectors such as investment, tourism, and retail.

    Myeongdong, a well-renowned shopping street in Seoul, was often packed with Chinese tourists, but after the two countries’ relationship went sour, Myeongdong became more and more deserted. Recently a slight increase of Chinese tourists at Myeongdong are noticeable.

    A report by the Seoul-based Aju Business Daily published on Monday noted that a 25-people tour group from Shanghai will arrive at Jeju Island in South Korea around November 28, the first tour group from China to South Korea since political disputes cut off organized commercial tourism between the two countries. It did not give details about the organizers and participants of the tour.

    China’s trade with South Korea also rose by 11.4 percent year-on-year in the first ten months of this year, customs data showed on November 8.

    According to an Aju Business Daily report published on October 26, in the first nine months of this year, South Korea received about 3.19 million visitors from China, down almost 50 percent compared to a year ago.

    As revival signs emerged over recent days, South Korean retailers rolled up their sleeves to cater to Chinese consumers. For example, in mid-November, the Seoul-based Shinsegae duty-free store welcomed some Chinese Internet celebrities to help advertise some of their products, with the aim of attracting more Chinese customers to the country.

    Furthermore, the Seoul-based Shilla duty-free store has also designed a special app for Chinese tourists where they can exchange their tax bills for shopping coupons.

    A customer service staff member from Utourworld.com Inc, a Shanghai-based travel agency specializing in overseas tourism, said that the company canceled all its tours to South Korea around May and has not yet restarted them. She also said she is not sure whether those tours will be re-launched in the future.

    China CYTS Tours Holding Co, also a travel agency, made similar comments.

    Shanghai-based Spring Airlines, said that his company is running 32 flights to South Korea in the 2017 winter/spring season, compared with 46 flights in the same period in 2016.

    “Recently, we have not  added new routes to South Korea .

    A representative from Lotte China, whose business has slumped a lot due to the company’s deep involvement with the THAAD issue, said that so far, the company’s business in China has not seen any significant improvements. She also said that the company is formulating new plans concerning the Chinese market, but has not confirmed the plans yet.

    Time will heal the situation slowly.

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  • $1 billion plan taxis onto runway to upgrade int’l airports in Vietnam

    $1 billion plan taxis onto runway to upgrade int’l airports in Vietnam

    Vietnam’s aviation agency has proposed a plan to upgrade three international airports near popular tourist destinations Ha Long, Hoi An and Hue over the next three years.

    The project is expected to cost VND23.3 trillion (more than $1 billion) and includes new passenger and cargo terminals, buildings and runway upgrades, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) said in its proposal to the transport ministry.

    It said the money would be spent at Cat Bi Airport, which is 70 kilometers (43 miles) from Ha Long Bay, Phu Bai Airport just outside the former royal capital Hue, and Chu Lai Airport, 77 kilometers south of Hoi An.

    The CAAV said Phu Bai and Chu Lai were operating far above capacity last year, while Cat Bi, which offers the shortest route to Hai Phong, is likely to be overloaded next year.

    Vietnam’s aviation market is growing at the third fastest pace in Asia-Pacific and the country is grappling with an acute dearth of airport capacity.

    Aviation authorities estimated that the number of passengers on domestic flights soared 35 percent to 28 million in 2016, accounting for more than half of the total air travel in the country.

    Airports across the country served more than 55 million passengers during the first seven months of this year, according to the CAAV. The number in July alone reached 9.1 million, up 12.2 percent against the same month last year.

    In March, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam asked for VND32 trillion ($1.4 billion) from the state budget to upgrade large airports across the country.

  • Tappoo Group opens Bobbi Brown Cosmetics store at Nadi International

    Tappoo Group opens Bobbi Brown Cosmetics store at Nadi International

    Bobbi Brown Cosmetics has opened its first outlet at Nadi International Airport, Fiji, in partnership with traveller retailer Tappoo Group.

    The store officially opened on 19 November and offers Bobbi Brown’s range of colour cosmetics, brushes, accessories and skincare products.

    Tappoo Group Director Harnish Tappoo said: “Tappoo is extremely proud to be representing Bobbi Brown in Fiji; it is one of the best make-up brands. We have highly trained make-up artists who are fully geared up to offer the best service and advice to customers.”

    Bobbi Brown Travel Retail Asia Pacific Regional Education Manager Carina Choo said: “We are a unique brand; we are focused on building the team so that they are able to confidently talk to customers and to do it very well. The beauty industry is always very competitive but we always have to know what are our unique styling points.”

  • Incheon airport’s 2nd terminal ready to open in 2018

    Incheon airport’s 2nd terminal ready to open in 2018

    Incheon International Airport plans to open its new terminal on 18 January 2018, about three weeks before the start of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the airport’s operator said.

    The opening date of Terminal 2 was set based on the consideration that the Olympic Village opens on 30 January 2018.

    The airport has been expanding its facilities to accommodate the athletes and officials who will be coming to Korea for the Winter Games.

    Four members of the SkyTeam alliance – Korean Air, Delta, Air France and KLM – will use the new terminal. Other carriers, including Asiana Airlines, will remain in the existing Terminal 1.

    The airport expects about 20 percent of the Games’ 300,000 visitors will go through Terminal 2.

    The new terminal will allow the airport to handle 72 million passengers and 5 million tons of cargo annually, according to data from the airport’s operator.

    The existing terminal had the capacity to handle 54 million passengers and 4.5 million tons of cargo a year.

    “Based on expanded infrastructure, we expect the airport to become the core airport in the Northeast Asian region,” an airport spokesman said, “and also win in the competition to become the world’s leading hub airport.”

    The new terminal will operate independently from Terminal 1 and have its own check-in, security and customs facilities. The airport said it has upgraded the technology to shorten the time from check-in to boarding. Self-check-in counters and guide robots will be installed for passenger convenience.

    “At Terminal 2, overall waiting time can be reduced by roughly 10 minutes compared to Terminal 1,” said Chung Il-young, chief executive of Incheon International Airport.

    The airport also announced a plan to continue expanding Terminal 2 through 2023. The airport has so far spent 5 trillion won on building the terminal and plans to add another 4.2 trillion won to expand its capacity so that it can handle up to 46 million passengers a year.

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  • LANCÔME Travel Retail Asia Pacific Kicks Off ‘Declaring Happiness’ Global Campaign

    LANCÔME Travel Retail Asia Pacific Kicks Off ‘Declaring Happiness’ Global Campaign

    Leading French luxury beauty brand LANCÔME

    Travel Retail Asia Pacific is delighted to announce the launch of a global campaign,
    ‘Declaring Happiness’, which will be celebrated through a series of brand events across
    Asia. In line with the global direction to strengthen LANCÔME’s digital presence in the
    region, each of these events will leverage on the digital influence of celebrities and key
    beauty opinion leaders to engage a broader audience, and at the same time converge the
    offline and online retail experiences to foster a stronger brand engagement with
    consumers.

    Beginning in Korea, the global initiative was kickstarted with a store event
    and cocktail party graced by renowned Korean actress, Kim Go-Eun, at Lotte Hotel, the
    first 2020 concept store for LANCÔME Travel Retail Asia Pacific to offer a unique retail
    experience with its consumer centric and high retail quality that allows travellers to freely
    discover various travel exclusive products in the shop. After which, the campaign landed
    on the shores of Singapore, with a resplendent LANCÔME Holiday Wonders pop-up
    store that lit up Singapore Changi Airport in festive spirit for the holiday season. Moving
    forward, the campaign will make a stop in China, with a launch event in November at
    Haitang Bay that is set to continue the brand’s journey in sharing happiness with all
    women, before concluding with a Hong Kong event in December.

    The Soul Behind The Campaign

    “The LANCÔME ‘Declaring Happiness’ global campaign richly illustrates our passion to
    inspire and share happiness with women by making their lives more beautiful. Ultrafeminity,
    emotion, joie de vivre and beauty have always been at the heart of LANCÔME’s
    DNA. Through this series of ‘Declaring Happiness’ events across Asia, we hope to
    continue creating moments of happiness for all women by exploring different consumercentric
    innovations at our events that allows us to foster a deeper connection and
    engagement with our consumers.” says Ms. Tao Zhang, General Manager of
    LANCÔME Travel Retail Asia Pacific.

    ‘Declaring Happiness’ Kick-off Event in Seoul

    The ‘Declaring Happiness’ campaign started off in Seoul on 12 October 2017 with
    LANCÔME Travel Retail Asia Pacific’s first-ever live streaming event, attended by
    guests from all across Asia – most notably, renowned Korean actress Kim Go-Eun and
    social media influencers from China. The 11 Chinese social media influencers livestreamed
    at both the event venue and concept store through Weibo, creating organic,
    user-generated content by sharing their experience with millions of their followers and
    interacting with them during the live feed.

    At the beauty talk session, Kim Go-Eun revealed her beauty secret for porcelain skin and
    attributed it to some of her favourite LANCÔME products – the UV Expert Aqua Gel
    and Blanc Expert Cushion.

    Other highlights of the event also include activities for new product launches such as the
    ‘Génifique’ zone, which employed touch-screen gaming technology to create a unique
    platform on which guests could experience the Génifique Sensitive. Guests were also
    given the opportunity to be the first to experience the fruity floral scent of LANCÔME’s
    new fragrance, the Miracle Secret, as well as the newly launched L’absolu Gloss.

    LANCÔME Holiday Wonders Pop-Up Store at Singapore Changi Airport

    Following its launch in Seoul, the ‘Declaring Happiness’ campaign arrived in Singapore
    with a much-anticipated LANCÔME Holiday Wonders pop-up store at Changi Airport
    on 16 October 2017, the first of its kind to blend retail with entertainment to create a
    captivating pop-up experience. The launch event was officiated with a ribbon cutting
    ceremony and champagne toast graced by VIPs and partners, followed by a speech given
    by Ms. Tao Zhang, General Manager of LANCÔME Travel Retail Asia Pacific.

    Pop-up store is designed to enrapture travellers at Singapore Changi Airport with various
    multi-dimensional retailtainment. An instant crowd-favourite at the launch event is the
    Virtual Mirror, a LANCÔME Travel Retail Worldwide exclusive at Singapore Changi
    Airport that allows guests to try on different makeup looks via a augmented reality virtual
    makeover application. Fans of Virtual Mirror at the event included notable beauty
    personalities and key opinion leaders such as Andrea Chong, Christabel Chua, Kimberly
    Wang, Liv Lo, Mongchin Yeoh, Sheila Sim, and Chinese fashion opinion leader Lu Min,
    all of whom indulged in the exciting opportunity to experience the Virtual Mirror. Guests
    were also kept entertained with a LANCÔME photobooth at the storefront which
    featured a splendid backdrop of floating balloons over Paris. Finally, for a chance to win
    the brand’s bestselling L’Absolu Rouge lipstick samples, guests did their best to clock up
    top scores at the LANCÔME digital touchscreen game.

    Consumers at the LANCÔME Holiday Wonders Pop-up store will also be treated to a
    complimentary engraving service for the ‘LANCÔME x SINGAPORE’ luggage tag, an
    exclusive holiday collectible for those who purchase the ‘Your Perfect Travel
    Companion’ sets.

    Hereafter, consumers can look forward to a uniquely LANCÔME beauty experience
    when the ‘Declaring Happiness’ campaign makes its stop at Haitang Bay, China in
    November and Hong Kong in December.

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  • CDF-Lagardere, Shilla win Hong Kong Airport concessions

    CDF-Lagardere, Shilla win Hong Kong Airport concessions

    Key Hong Kong airport concessions for cosmetics, fashion accessories and liquor & tobacco have been awarded at Hong Kong International Airport.

    The Airport Authority of Hong Kong has awarded the liquor & tobacco concession to China Duty Free – Lagardere Company and the perfume & cosmetics and fashion accessories concession to Shilla Travel Retail Hong Kong Limited (Shilla).

    The concessions will open from November 2017 and follow an open tender exercise.

    Cissy Chan, executive director, commercial of the Airport Authority said she is confident the new concessions “will elevate the overall airport experience and create a new shopping journey for the worldwide passengers”.

    The liquor & tobacco concessionaire will have the flexibility to include complementary products and upmarket gourmet food items.  The perfume & cosmetics and fashion accessories concessionaire will offer a one-stop shopping destination for beauty and fashion accessories, such as sunglasses, fashion watches, small leather goods and handbags.

    CDF – Lagardere, the awardee of the liquor & tobacco concession, will be introducing new experiential concepts, which include a wide selection of Chinese liquor assortment, a whisky chamber bringing an extensive offering under one roof, an in-store VIP lounge, tasting bars and more, said Chan.

    Shilla, which will be operating the perfume & cosmetics and fashion accessories shops, will bring a wide spectrum of beauty products and fashion accessories representing almost 100 brands that are new to HKIA.  There will be a dedicated zone for male-specific products, as well as a New Generation zone providing a platform for emerging Korean and Japanese brands.

    Both concessionaires will bring in new ideas to deepen customer engagement through digital initiatives. Interactive zones with virtual reality (VR), interactive and digital devices, together with iBeacon technology, will be installed inside the shops to enhance in-store navigation and real-time promotional offers.

    Charles Chen, President of China Duty Free Group (CDF) said being awarded the liquor & tobacco concession at HKIA marks an important milestone in the international development of the organisation’s duty free business.

    “We extend our sincere gratitude to the AA for their trust, and we will join hands with Lagardère Travel Retail to present a world class duty free shopping experience to the HKIA passengers.”

    Dag Rasmussen, chairman & CEO of Lagardere Travel Retail promises the company’s teams across the world will collaborate with brand partners “to bring to life a new benchmark for quality and engagement in travel retail”.

    And Roberto Graziani, president, Hotel Shilla Travel Retail says the highly contested tender win is a tribute to Shilla’s innovative category insights, deep understanding of customer needs and long-standing operational excellence.

    “We are grateful to the AA for this vote of confidence and look forward to warrant to our customers and all stakeholders, offers, services, and operational performances which will stay abreast of trends and changes in the consumers’ preferences, always maintaining a strong competitive edge throughout the length of the concession.”

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  • Louis Vuitton Changi duplex to open in January 2018

    Louis Vuitton Changi duplex to open in January 2018

    Louis Vuitton is to open a two storey store at Singapore’s Changi Airport – its first passenger terminal duplex in the world.

    The Louis Vuitton Changi store is scheduled to open in January 2018 as the centrepiece of a new garden in Terminal 3’s departure transit hall.

    Designed as a glasshouse it will be built in the centre of the planned Crystal Garden, which Changi management say is “inspired by artistic floral centrepieces” and a new space “chicly adorned with tiered garden beds featuring a curated selection of flora and spheres of artisan glass sculptures”.

    The 530 sqm Louis Vuitton Changi store will be first the airport store in Asia Pacific to be directly managed by the French luxury retail group and feature a tailored product mix suited to travellers.

    Michael Burke, chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, says his company had waited for “the perfect moment” and “the perfect place” to open the new store at Changi Airport.

    “Louis Vuitton is a brand intrinsically related to the history of modern travel. Given the right place and the right timing, it was more than natural for Louis Vuitton to create a space inside Singapore Changi Airport, dedicated to modern travelers.”

    Since it opened in 1981, Changi Airport has pioneered the concept of airport gardens, now well-loved among travellers.

    “This is the first time Changi is integrating a feature garden with a retail store – a testament to how the airport constantly strives to rejuvenate its award-winning amenities and offerings to enhance the Changi Experience.”

    Changi Airport Group CEO Lee Seow Hiang says Louis Vuitton shares the airport company’s vision to redefine the future of luxury retail in an airport.

    “The revolutionary duplex store, set amidst an elegant Crystal Garden, will become a distinctive attraction for passengers who fly through Changi Airport, and we look forward to embarking on an exciting journey of discovery with them when the store opens.”

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  • China main market for Korean online industry

    China main market for Korean online industry

    Sales of South Korea’s online shopping malls rose dramatically in recent months helped by the growing number of Chinese customers.

    Data released this week shows the Korean online industry growth is happening amid China’s retaliation against South Korea over Seoul’s plans to deploy an advanced US missile defense system on its soil.

    WeMakePrice, a major online shopping mall, said its sales on Alibaba Group’s Tmall rose 100 per cent in January compared with the same period last year. The comparable figure was 50 per cent for February.

    “We don’t expect any drastic decline in the sales in Tmall, one of the biggest online shopping sites in China, unless Chinese consumers stage a boycott of South Korean products,” a WeMakePrice official said.

    GMarket, another online shopping mall, said its sales to Chinese consumers surged 18 per cent in 2016 from a year earlier, and the trend is similar for the first two months of this year.

    A possible decline in the number of Chinese tourists visiting South Korea, however, may adversely affect the South Korea online industry as many Chinese tourists place orders at South Korean duty-free shops online before picking up goods in person while touring South Korea, industry sources said.

    China has been retaliating against Seoul’s decision reached in July to have the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system deployed on South Korean soil later this year. South Korea says the missile system will not target China but only counter threats from North Korea.

    In the latest retaliation, Chinese travel agencies suspended sales of tour packages to South Korea last week.

  • Cosmetics dominate Korean duty-free sector in 2016

    Cosmetics dominate Korean duty-free sector in 2016

    Make-up products accounted for more than half of the annual sales at duty-free shops in South Korea last year, fueled by brisk demand from foreign tourists immersed in Korean entertainment culture.

    Fresh data from the Korea Customs Service and companies reveals the combined cosmetics revenue from duty-free chains, including top players Lotte Duty Free and Shilla Duty Free, stood at 6.28 trillion won (US$5.48 billion) at the end of 2016, up 51.7 per cent from a year earlier.

    The sales of such beauty products took up 51.2 per cent of all sales, jumping from 45.1 per cent in 2015.

    Their proportion far outstripped those of other products, such as handbags or watches, whose sales grew 14 per cent and 7.6 per cent on-year in 2016, respectively.

    The upbeat figure came as Korean-made cosmetics have become very popular among Asian tourists who come here to shop, fascinated by Korean pop culture and TV drama series, a phenomenon commonly referred to as the Korean Wave or Hallyu.

    Local cosmetics companies have rushed to boost their marketing targeting these Hallyu fans, making advertisement clips using the celebrities who have gained popularity through movies and dramas exported to those countries.

    Thanks to such efforts, the revenue portion of domestic cosmetics brands at duty-free stores also made a big leap, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the overall sales, the data showed.

    “The portion of Korean brands being sold at duty-free shops is growing rapidly unlike in the past when most of the top-selling items were imported products,” Ahn Ji-young, a market analyst at IBK Securities Co.

    Industry watchers said the cosmetics firms should plan ahead in developing products in line with a fast-changing beauty trends and discriminate their strategy by country or region.

    “Younger Chinese tourists these days are showing a tendency to fall for color make-up so the companies need to closely track such trend,” an industry source said.

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  • Hudson Travel bookstores launch at Chengdu Airport

    Hudson Travel bookstores launch at Chengdu Airport

    Swiss travel retailer Dufry has launched the Hudson Travel Essentials Convenience Bookstore brand with eight outlets at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport.

    The Hudson Travel bookstores are being run by Hudson Bright Power Beijing, a JV between Dufry and bookstore company Bright Power Beijing.

    Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport handled more than 44 million passengers last year, and is ranked as the fourth-busiest airport in China behind Beijing Capital International, Shanghai Pudong and Guangzhou Baiyun International airports.

    The new Hudson Travel Essentials Convenience Bookstores offer travellers “one-stop shopping with an international ambiance”, says Dufry. As well as magazines and books, the shops offer international snacks and soft drinks, Chinese cultural and destination souvenir items, travel convenience products, and digital and electronics accessories.
    Dufry plans to roll out the Hudson brand across China and expand the retail concept globally.
    China is poised for significant growth in passenger numbers both at airports and railway stations, says the company.

    The Civil Aviation Administration of China says there were about 500 million air passengers in China last year, 13 per cent more than in the previous year.

    “With its remarkable number of passengers, Chengdu is the ideal starting point to further grow in China, which is a very attractive market for us,” says Dufry Asia/Middle East/Australia division CEO Andrea Belardini.

    “Besides the Hudson convenience stores, we are also able to offer our landlords a complete range of retail formats and solutions, from typical core categories to multi-brand formats such as sunglasses, fashion watches, electronics and leisurewear.”

    Bright Power was founded in 2005 as a book-publishing company, and has evolved from book wholesaling to magazine and book retailing. It has bookstores in four out of the 10 major Chinese airports and at six of China’s top 10 high-speed railway stations.

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  • DFS Group completes City of Dreams store

    DFS Group completes City of Dreams store

    Luxury travel retailer DFS Group has unveiled the final phase of T Galleria by DFS, City of Dreams store in Macau following a year-long expansion.

    DFS Group chairman/CEO Philippe Schaus says the the store offers travellers the breadth of a luxury shopping mall with the personalised service of a high-end department store.

    An expanded jewelry offering was also unveiled in December, bringing key luxury jewelry brands Tiffany & Co. and Van Cleef & Arpels to T Galleria by DFS, City of Dreams as well as new watches boutiques from Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Const
    An expanded jewelry offering was also unveiled in December, bringing key luxury jewelry brands Tiffany & Co. and Van Cleef & Arpels to T Galleria by DFS, City of Dreams as well as new watches boutiques from Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin

    Opening in 2009, T Galleria by DFS, City of Dreams expanded throughout last year to more than three times its original size. Stretching across 173,000 sqft (16072 sqm), the expanded store includes the group’s debut shoe hall. The largest shoe floor in Hong Kong and Macau, it features more than 50 men’s and women’s shoe brands across two levels, including exclusive-to-Macau brands such as Aquazzura and Rupert Sanderson.

    Men can also enjoy a dedicated multi-branded, lifestyle area that mixes ready-to-wear, accessories, shoes, watches and grooming all in one space to allow shoppers to complete a head-to-toe look with ease
    Men can also enjoy a dedicated multi-branded, lifestyle area that mixes ready-to-wear, accessories, shoes, watches and grooming all in one space to allow shoppers to complete a head-to-toe look with ease

     

    There are more than 40 fashion and accessories brands in the outlet, including Dior, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu and Prada. The expanded beauty offering comprises two wings across 23,000 sqft and nearly 70 beauty and fragrance brands, making it the largest beauty hall in southern China. Highlights include Korean brands Hera, Laneige and Sulwhasoo.

    DFS Macau, City of Dreams – beauty

    For men there is a multi-branded lifestyle area that mixes ready-to-wear, accessories, shoes, watches and grooming in one space.

    DFS Macau. 1

    DFS Macau. 3

    An expanded jewellery offering was unveiled in December, bringing in such brands as Tiffany & Co and Van Cleef & Arpels. There are also new watch boutiques from Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin.

    DFS Macau, City of Dreams - WJA Event

    T Galleria by DFS, City of Dreams is one of four T Galleria stores in Macau, including T Galleria by DFS, Shoppes at Four Seasons; T Galleria by DFS, Studio City; and the standalone beauty hall T Galleria Beauty by DFS, Galaxy Macau.

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  • Travel retail boosts Estée Lauder Companies

    Travel retail boosts Estée Lauder Companies

    Beauty group The Estée Lauder Companies has reported double-digit sales growth in global travel retail for the second quarter of its latest fiscal year.

    This was generated by launch initiatives, global airline passenger traffic growth and new consumer coverage, the company says.

    Its Aveda, Jo Malone, La Mer, MAC and Tom Ford brands “contributed sharply” to the sales gains.
    An overall increase in make-up sales came partly through a broadening of the brands’ presence in travel retail, says the group.

    Total net sales of US$3.21 billion were achieved in the second quarter, a 3 per cent year-on-year increase.

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  • Mainland China accounts for 28m of 30m Macau visitors

    Mainland China accounts for 28m of 30m Macau visitors

    Macau’s total visitor arrivals rose a nominal 0.8% to a new record 30.95m in 2016, with nearly 28m travelling from Greater China markets (+0.1%), a slight increase of 0.1%, whereas the much smaller international visitor arrival total grew by 7.9%.

    This will be encouraging news for DFS Macau in particular, plus Duty Free Americas, Dufry and many other standalone retailers currently operating shops in Macau’s hotels and tourist district.

    MACAU GAMBLING ON CASINO RECOVERY

    The increase also comes at a time when Macau’s casino business appears to be recovering some of its big spenders, with last December’s revenue up an impressive 8%.

    Most of these big ’high rollers’ were put off visiting the location, following Beijing’s crack down on irresponsible gambling by some mainlanders three years ago.

    Having said that, there was still a 3% fall in Macau’s overall gambling revenue to $28bn last year and this is still the Special Administrative Region of China’s biggest source of revenue by far [three times the gambling revenues generated in Las Vegas-Ed].

    Macau also continues to be only territory anywhere in China that is allowed to operate casinos.

    MACAU STILL NEEDS A LOT MORE HOTEL ROOMS

    The huge new bridge being constructed to link Hong Kong and Macau and the planned expansion of ferry operations to Macau are also expected to greatly increase visitor arrivals – although this expansion will only as good as the number of hotel rooms that are available – around 35,000 at present.

    In the meantime, the MGTO says it continue to work towards completing the tourism development goals in the 5- year development plan formulated by the SAR Government aimed at turning Macau into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure.

    Macau welcomed more than 20m Mainland visitors last year, up by 0.2%, with 44% from Guangdong Province. There were also nearly 9.56m ‘independent’ visitors from the Mainland. An increase of 8.8% was recorded for the Taiwan market, whereas the sum of Hong Kong visitors dropped by 1.8%.

    HALF A MILLION KOREANS VISITED MACAU LAST YEAR

    As for international markets, South Korea still ranked highest, contributing over 660,000 visitors to Macau last year (+20%). Southeast Asian markets also performed well, with visitors from Thailand registering the largest growth of over 30% among the top ten source markets.

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