CHINA. Hainan Development Holdings’ Global Premium Duty Free (GDF) Plaza celebrated its second anniversary on 31 January at Mova Mall, Haikou by hosting a wide array of ongoing celebrations and promotional activities that are attracting large numbers of tourists and Hainan residents.
With the second anniversary approaching, famous liquor products such as Feitian Moutai and Kweichow Moutai, which are hugely popular with Chinese consumers, made timely recent debuts with GDF Plaza.
Additionally, several international brands including Cellcosmet Switzerland, Prada, Valentino, Ralph Lauren and Viktor&Rolf opened in the Mova Mall store, providing more diversified shopping choices for consumers.
{In this video, GDF Plaza’s brand partners honour the travel retailer’s second anniversary. We hear from Coty, Pernod Ricard, Cellcosmet, Chow Tai Fook, Fiyta, ctrip and Fosun subsidiary Fuyu.}
{Local media SSTV News marked GDF Plaza’s second anniversary with this recent film report, reproduced with exclusive permission by The Moodie Davitt Report}
“I’ve been using the skincare products of Cellcosmet all the time, which could be only found in GDF Plaza in Haikou, and the price is duty free, so I’m very surprised and shopped a lot this time,” said Ms. Liu, a tourist from Hunan Province.
After two years of development, GDF Plaza’s business has expanded from 3,000sq m to nearly 40,000sq m while brand numbers have increased from 145 at the beginning to more than 600 today.
Categories include cosmetics, fragrances, wines & spirits, consumer technology, sunglasses, luggage, fashion & accessories, toys, watches, jewellery and more.
In celebrating its second anniversary, GDF Plaza said it has combined shopping and experience to create a new consumer consumption scene. In cooperation with La Prairie, Shiseido, La Mer and other global front-line brands, GDF Plaza has opened several experience stores and concept stores in the plaza, providing customers with high-end and luxury skincare services.
Simultaneously, the retailer noted it has continuously optimised its services, aiming to create a high-end benchmark for duty free shopping in Hainan. GDF Plaza has introduced 26 VIP services including spa, wine tasting, skin testing and others, allowing customers to enjoy a luxury experience while shopping.
Since last March, GDF Plaza has created a number of new online shopping platforms. Consumers can open apps such as Douyin, Taobao and WeChat, then access mini program and livestreaming services to conduct their online shopping. The goods are then home delivered within days.
GDF Plaza said it will seize the opportunity offered by Hainan’s Free Trade Port construction. It plans to adhere to an integrity management and brand differentiation strategy, and strive to become a first-class travel retailer that integrates duty free and duty paid retail, free retail, cross-border ecommerce and other business forms, a spokesperson said. ✈
