CHINA. Hainan Development Holdings’ Global Premium Duty Free (GDF) Plaza has launched a series of themed shopping campaigns to capture traveller demand during the Mid-Autumn and Golden Week holidays.
The programme brings together an enhanced brand portfolio, immersive retail experiences and proprietary marketing initiatives aimed at driving engagement and conversion during the peak holiday period.
Supporting Hainan’s ambition to build an international tourism and retail destination, the Mid-Autumn Festival activation blends duty-free shopping with traditional Chinese folk culture, extending the celebration into the retail environment.
Activities included pitch-pot and ring-toss games, as well as an outdoor mooncake-rolling competition.
Challenge-based stamp collecting and store check-ins invited visitors to explore the venue while experiencing Mid-Autumn traditions in a commercial setting.
Driving further engagement, the monthly refreshed exclusive perks under GDF’s Islanders’ Day programme are giving island residents access to international luxury brand services and privileges in-store.
Building on the Mid-Autumn and National Day holiday retail momentum, GDF is also stepping up its product offering, bringing a number of key Chinese and international brands to its portfolio.
The arrival of French skincare brand EviDenS de Beauté and US luxury skincare brand RéVive has expanded the luxury skincare offer, with member programmes, in-store check-in gifts and experiential services.
Runbaiyan also joined the duty-free offer with a new store featuring its technology-focused skincare range.
Enhancing the spirits offer, Rémy Martin and Penfolds launched limited-time pop-ups, while Hennessy hosted Mid-Autumn-themed tastings pairing cocktails with mooncake sampling.
Island resident-exclusive promotions drive further engagement
GDF is bringing its islander-exclusive promotions into the Golden Week campaign, using the established platform to engage holiday traffic.
The National Day campaign features a fruit-themed interactive sports event, carrying the holiday marketing programme from Mid-Autumn into National Day.
Pineapple, watermelon and peach serve as the campaign’s visual and creative themes, incorporated into brand activities across the duty-free complex.
These include Pola handcare experiences, Hennessy and Rémy Martin liquor tastings, and a fruit-scented fragrance float featuring Jo Malone and Armani products.
The retailer is also combining promotional offers with member benefits during the Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays, including brand gift-with-purchase offers and bank payment discounts.
Local residents continue to receive islander-exclusive benefits, including CNY39 (US$5.80) coupons and CNY50 (US$7.45) birthday coupons.
GDF is extending its offer online through livestreams on Douyin and Meituan, using a dual-anchor format combining AI hosts with in-store staff.
Broadcasts will run throughout the seven-day National Day holiday, with the hosts showcasing products, promotions and platform offers while directing online audiences to the physical stores.
Looking ahead, GDF said it will continue to develop the ‘duty-free + cultural tourism’ model in line with the Free Trade Port’s development and Hainan’s international tourism and commercial objectives.
Priorities include refining the brand portfolio, developing proprietary marketing, elevating the customer experience and making greater use of offshore duty-free policies. 🏝️
