MACAU, CHINA. It was a double celebration for Duty Free Americas (DFA) in Macau yesterday (23 October) as the US travel retailer inaugurated both its expanded beauty store and a TWG tea boutique at The Venetian Macao.
DFA CEO and co-owner Jerome Falic welcomed an impressive contingent of brand partners to the beauty space before a ribbon-cutting ceremony and traditional lion dance performance considered to bring good fortune to the business.
The lion dance then moved to the TWG boutique to complete a special occasion for the US-based travel retailer.
Commenting on the beauty store Grand Opening, Falic told The Moodie Davitt Report, “It feels great and really what’s incredible is the amount of support from all our partners – from the hotel to the vendors. Everybody.
“It’s great to see that we have great partnerships. It just shows over the years how we have built these great relationships and they mean a lot to us.”
While visitor numbers to Macau in general and The Venetian Macao in particular have grown strongly through the year, spend has often been soft due to the troubled Chinese economy and widespread discounting in the Mainland China local market.
“We have a lot of traffic and I think the buying habits will come back though it may take a little bit of time,” Falic observed.
He said DFA has added several brands over recent months to an already extensive selection. “We try to have the latest and the greatest and that’s really what it’s about,” Falic noted.
Asked about the move into tea with the TWG opening, he said: “It’s very exciting. It’s a different category for us in the region and TWG is very well known here. I thought it was a big upgrade opportunity and as you know, we’re always looking for opportunities.
“The feedback has been great and I think it’s going to be a great upgrade [to our offer]. I really feel strongly about it.” ✈
*Look out for our full report next week
PICTURE GALLERY
Tea time in Macau
