CHINA. Hainan Development Holdings Co-owned Global Premium Duty Free (GDF) Plaza launched its fifth anniversary campaign yesterday (31 January) with an array of promotions and events.
The Haikou mall’s milestone birthday, following the island-wide customs closure of the Hainan Free Trade Port, and coinciding with Chinese New Year celebrations, features ‘ten special benefits’ and showcases the “vibrancy and potential of Hainan’s offshore duty free industry in its new era”, the retailer said.
Festive atmosphere
With Chinese New Year (17 February) fast approaching, the anniversary campaign is imbuing GDF Plaza with a festive atmosphere. On 31 January, visitors received a Year of the Horse gift box upon entry, participated in an interactive stamp-collecting game, and stood a chance to win premium prizes.
Throughout the day, customers making any purchase could win a Labubu 4.0 keychain – an instant hit among younger shoppers – alongside other prizes such as premium Chinese liquor brand Wuliangye, high-end bicycles and snowboards.
The festivities peaked with a birthday ceremony in the afternoon, featuring a giant cake, complimentary lottery tickets, lion dances, and the 2026 Hainan Street Dance Competition.
Meanwhile, the all-day ‘Anniversary Market’ and premium wine and spirits tastings provided visitors with a wide range of activities beyond shopping.
Omnichannel promotions ignite consumption
In a blitz of retail promotions, GDF Plaza has rolled out storewide flash sales featuring international brands across categories including beauty, wine and spirits, toys and luxury goods.
Customers can also enjoy up to 15x points on renowned spirit brands including Hennessy, The Macallan and Martell, as well as discounts combined with 5x points on fragrances and cosmetics.
Online, GDF Plaza is deploying its official Douyin and Meituan accounts to simultaneously roll out an expansive shopping subsidies programme, offering discounts on electronics, gold products and universal vouchers, with a combined value of CNY1 million (US$144,000).
These initiatives not only commemorate the anniversary but are also designed to retain local customers and attract more visitors through competitive pricing and high-quality services amid the new customs regime.
A GDF Plaza representative said the anniversary campaign is designed to reflect the duty-free industry’s emotional resonance and value alignment with the younger generation of shoppers, as well as new consumption trends emerging after the customs closure.
“By integrating online and offline channels and collaborating with online platforms, we have enabled shoppers to collect vouchers online and redeem them offline, which highlights the convenience and diversification of duty-free shopping,” the representative added.
“Meanwhile, the introduction of youth-focused IPs such as Labubu toys and street dance competitions aims to create more innovative ‘duty-free + cultural tourism’ consumption scenarios, attracting younger demographics and establishing Hainan duty-free shopping as an appealing lifestyle choice for them.”
Drawing a future roadmap for duty free
As GDF Plaza’s first anniversary celebration since the launch of the new customs regime in the Hainan Free Trade Port, this ambitious event carries exceptional significance, the retailer noted.
GDF Plaza said Hainan’s customs closure represents a more mature policy environment and an improved business climate. The fifth anniversary is therefore not only a significant milestone in the company’s journey but also a fresh beginning as it coincides with a new starting point for the Free Trade Port, the retailer observed.
With more stable duty-free policies in Hainan following the customs closure, GDF Plaza pledged to empower consumers to experience policy benefits in a tangible way through this celebration, while showcasing the appeal and competitiveness of Hainan’s duty-free market to the world.
“Our fifth anniversary marks a new chapter,” the company concluded. “We will continue to leverage the policy advantages, focusing not only on sales growth but also on elevating service quality.
“In that way, every visitor to Hainan can feel the care and aspiration of Hainan Development Holdings Co as one of China’s pioneering duty-free retailers, as well as the boundless potential of the Hainan Free Trade Port.” 🏝️
