CHINA. The fourth Hainan International Offshore Duty Free Shopping Festival, held alongside the seventh cdf Hainan Offshore Duty Free Shopping Festival, officially launched last Friday (4 July) at the cdf Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Haitang Bay.
The shopping campaign is taking place across the retailer’s six duty-free locations island-wide, offering exclusive promotions, rewards and benefits, along with immersive experiential retail activations.
The festival’s highlight is a large-scale cash giveaway programme, distributing millions of duty-free shopping vouchers across all offline and online channels.
Combined with government-issued coupons, bank promotions, personalised shopping guides and bundled travel packages that include lodging, transportation and retail benefits, the programme is designed to ensure a highly rewarding experience for participants.
Jointly organised by the Hainan Provincial Department of Commerce and China Tourism Group Duty Free Corporation (CTG), parent company of the world’s second-largest travel retailer China Duty Free Group (CDFG), the event is supported by multiple government agencies.
The shopping festivals are being held amid the accelerated development of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the ongoing expansion of China’s offshore duty-free policy benefits.
This year’s edition marks the start of a summer-long shopping extravaganza designed to drive consumer demand and deliver fresh, engaging retail experiences.
Omnichannel retail strategy
Since it was launched, the offshore duty-free policy has helped transform Hainan into a leading destination for shopping-driven tourism and has fuelled its economic expansion, CDFG noted.
To support this ongoing growth, CDFG pledged to continue rolling out innovative retail concepts.
All six of the group’s duty-free locations across Hainan, including cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex, cdf Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex, airport locations and the retailer’s online shopping platform are participating in the festival.
CDFG is marking the campaign with an extensive assortment across 45 duty-free categories, featuring more than 800 prestigious global and domestic brands.
The celebration includes the launch of over 30 brand stores and pop-up concepts, each showcasing exclusive releases and collectible limited editions. Shoppers can also enjoy exclusive discounts and shopping rewards, celebrity guest appearances and interactive experiences
The festival includes themed events such as the fourth cdf Beauty Festival, which offers premium membership benefits and personalised services. These initiatives contribute to an enhanced, immersive retail environment that maximises the impact of Hainan’s duty-free policy.
Summer-themed shopping experiences across locations
To boost engagement during the peak summer travel period, CDFG has rolled out themed activations at each of its Hainan locations.
The cdf Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex is embracing a family-friendly theme this summer, led by a Care Bears pop-up activation. Designed to appeal to families, the activation blends playful retail with interactive parent-child experiences, positioning the store as a top family-friendly destination this season.
One of the standout elements of the summer shopping campaign at the cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex is its innovative pet-friendly initiative. Featuring cat cafés and pet-friendly areas, the concept turns the retail space into a more experiential setting, blending shopping with leisurely animal interaction.
At the retailer’s Haikou Meilan location, a duty-free ‘mystery box’ promotion invites shoppers to purchase fixed-price boxes containing surprise luxury items such as cosmetics and fragrances.
Combining retail with wellness, the cdf store in Mova Mall, Haikou has partnered with the Hainan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine to offer services such as body constitution assessments and seasonal health treatments. These are complemented by regular weekend deals and beauty-focused workshops for local consumers.
Innovative shopping concepts and exclusive benefits
The festival features an array of engaging initiatives to elevate the shopping experience, led by the fourth cdf Beauty Festival.
Highlights include five-times reward points on selected premium brands, discounts on cosmetics and fragrances, special pricing on 77 high-demand products, and and tiered gifts for high-value purchases.
Featuring collaborations with over 100 top brands including Shiseido, NARS and Clé de Peau Beauté, the festival brings exclusive Hainan releases and special editions.
Shoppers can also enjoy curated VIP salon events, personalised shopping experiences and celebrity meet-and-greets. 🏝️
