CHINA. Lagardère Travel Retail has extended its Mainland China network with the recent opening of eight beauty and fashion stores at Shanghai Hongqiao and Shenzhen airports.
Several brands are entering China’s travel retail market for the first time, which the retailer said reflected its “ambition to bring innovation and dynamism to airport retail in China”.
The openings build on the recovery of domestic air traffic in China. The company added: “Economic policies to stimulate domestic consumption are also paying off and Chinese shoppers are eager to resume travel and shopping, with a particular appetite for luxury goods.”
At Shanghai Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2, Lagardère Travel Retail has opened six stores:
- Chanel Beauty and Accessories, an 80sq m store, offering a wide range of cosmetics, fragrances and accessories; it is the brand’s first boutique in a domestic airport terminal in China;
- Parfums Christian Dior, an 81sq m fragrance & cosmetics store;
- Givenchy, a 66sq m new concept fragrance & cosmetics store, the first in an airport in China;
- Shiseido, a 67sq m fragrance & cosmetics boutique, the brand’s first in a domestic airport in China;.
- Gucci Watches & Jewelry, a 58sq m fashion jewellery & watches store;
- Sandro, a 93sq m fashion store, the first Sandro store in an airport worldwide.
At Shenzhen Airport Terminal T3, Lagardère Travel Retail has opened two stores with brand partners new to its portfolio in China:
- A 150sq m Cartier store, specialised in high-end jewellery, watches and accessories;
- A 134sq m Burberry fashion store.
Lagardère Travel Retail CEO North Asia Eudes Fabre said: “China is an incredibly resilient market. It has been breathtaking to observe how fast domestic traffic has returned to pre-crisis levels, and how eager Chinese shoppers have been to come back to our stores. The growth of the country’s middle class and its appetite for luxury brands has supported a sharp rebound in our business here. I am pleased that we are able to build on our leading market position and in-depth understanding of the local travel retail market to partner with some of the world’s leading luxury brands to support their development in what remains an uncertain environment.”
