CHINA. The fifth Hainan International Offshore Duty Free Shopping Festival and the eighth cdf Hainan Offshore Duty Free Shopping Festival each kicked off today (10 July) at the cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex.
A high-profile festival promotional programme runs until 31 August, as six CDFG stores across Hainan bring together campaigns built around 47 duty-free categories and featuring over 1,000 brands.
With debut store openings, product launches, innovative retail formats, cross-sector partnerships and a range of consumer-friendly incentives, the double festival period will energise Hainan’s summer tourism and consumption landscape while driving the upgrade of its offshore duty-free industry, the leading state-owned retailer said in a statement.
First-to-market stores and experiences boost appeal
CDFG Hainan has doubled down on its ‘first-store’ economy strategy this year, as the company courts more premium brands to launch in the Hainan offshore duty-free channel.
In the first half of the year, the retailer introduced 128 domestic and international brands to its portfolio and launched 28 Hainan debuts across categories including dining, lifestyle and fashion.
This summer cdf Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex is welcoming a dazzling line-up of brands, including Hermès Beauty and Armani Beauty pop-ups, KOLON SPORT, Zhu Bingren·Copper and Acne Studios.
Meanwhile, cdf Haikou Meilan Airport Duty Free Store has launched a series of openings spanning watches, Chinese beauty, high-end fragrances and wellness.
In addition to the new stores, this year’s shopping festival is also collaborating with the Toy Story franchise in rolling out a series of immersive themed zones, coinciding with the release of Toy Story 5.
At cdf Haikou and cdf Mova Mall, Toy Story pop-ups feature character parades, family-friendly craft workshops and interactive photo installations.
“By turning the power of Hollywood IP into physical retail and elevating the experience through curated scenarios, the festival is steering duty-free shopping beyond transactions and toward a hybrid ‘shop-play-immerse’ model,” CDFG said in a statement.
“We hope to see that ongoing flagship openings and new product launches, along with diverse IP-driven and seasonal experiences, will enhance the appeal of summer shopping for our consumers,” the company added.
Making memories for families
Capitalising on the summer surge in family, group and resort travel, cdf Sanya has launched Hainan’s first water park at a duty-free complex, while the official Disney store debuts exclusive Hainan-edition Stitch merchandise.
CDFG noted that these aim to offer families a fun summer holiday blending water activities, shopping, and memorable, photo-worthy moments.
Atcdf Haikou families can enjoy interactive workshops including robotics, 3D printing, brain games, lab experiments and clayware making, encouraging young visitors to learn through immersive play.
Family sports events take over the mall’s South Gate Plaza during weekends, alongside robot dance shows, children’s theatre and live band performances.
cdf Mova Mall store in Haikou is also rolling out summer activities, including a craft workshop, a food-themed prize challenge, lucky draws and Buzz Lightyear plushy giveaways, with online participation available.
cdf Haikou Meilan Airport Duty Free Store makes full use of its terminal spaces, hosting complimentary tastings and food samplings throughout the campaign period. Themed photo spots and interactive installations are set up to bid departing travellers farewell with authentic Hainan flair.
Members benefits energise consumption market
For its member base of over 59 million, CDFG’s six Hainan stores are introducing an array of exclusive discounts, privileges, vouchers and bank payment offers throughout the festival to deliver a “full-spectrum membership experience”.
cdf Haikou’s Islander Day promotion offers local Hainan residents gifts with purchases, as well as special perks for high school and college exam students. Selected beauty, fashion and jewellery products have up to -50% discounts, with stackable government and bank offers available.
The cdf Haikou Meilan Airport store also provides special deals for Hainan residents, educators and students, in addition to discounts and bank-specific benefits.
cdf Sanya Phoenix Airport stores offer Early Bird discounts and exclusive benefits for military personnel, as well as gifts with purchase, bundle deals and high-value vouchers for luxury fashion.
Meanwhile, the cdf Qionghai Boao Duty Free store tailors its offerings to high-end business travellers, providing dedicated VIP shopping assistance and express pickup services, alongside pop-up activations that spotlight the store’s unique ‘exhibition + duty-free’ model.
CDFG is partnering with premium beauty, fashion, jewellery and watch brands to introduce duty-free exclusives, debut launches and VIP brand salons. Furthermore, the retailer is collaborating with online travel agencies, airlines and luxury hotels to create deliver bespoke high-end events that go beyond duty-free shopping.
“The recently released Hainan’s 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly calls for upgrading duty-free offerings toward high-end customisation, limited-edition launches and debuts,” CDFG said.
“In step with this vision, this year’s festival is anchored in our ‘first-store’ strategy and enriched by diverse experiences. These will drive innovation across products, scenarios and services to unlock the full potential of offshore duty-free policy.
“From Haikou to Sanya, downtown to airport, family workshops to water parks, CDFG’s Hainan stores work in concert to deliver great products, immersive settings and meaningful savings to ensure that every visitor enjoys a one-of-a-kind experience this summer,” the company added. 🏝️
