CHINA. China Duty Free Group is the dominant force in the fast-developing Chinese duty free industry, with annual sales of around US$200 million in 2002. There are 150-plus duty free outlets managed or operated by CDFG. China Duty Free Group president Gai Zhixin spoke exclusively to Martin Moodie, publisher of The Moodie Report, about the reality behind the new image.
The Moodie Report: Why did CDFG choose a new logo?
Gai Zhixin: In line with our mission statement, we chose this logo to express our enterprise culture and CDFG’s aim to become one of the world’s top duty free operators.
The Moodie Report: How would you describe the new logo?
Gai Zhixin: The new logo conveys CDFG’s impressive personality and its strong belief in co-existence and partnership. In the future, CDFG is willing to strengthen its links and co-operation with international colleagues. CDFG is willing to explore ways to enjoy friendly co-operation and co-prosperity with international colleagues and make an active contribution to future development.
The Moodie Report: Would you describe the meaning behind the new logo and the importance of it?
Gai Zhixin: While it vividly illustrates CDFG’s desire to maintain its national cultural characteristics, it also says that CDFG will speed up its progress in becoming an important and strong player with an active role in the global travel retail industry. In this way, CDFG hopes to makes a contribution to the entire industry, as indeed it should be doing.
The Moodie Report: The new logo shows your unshakable confidence in the future. But let’s talk about today. How is CDFG performing currently?
Gai Zhixin: Since 1994, inspired by our motto, which translates as “coming back again”, CDFG has successfully faced down several serious challenges, including that posed by the Asian financial crisis. In recent years, CDFG has worked closely with a leading international consultancy to help achieve management reform. In the past 10 years, by overcoming a variety of challenges and obstacles, we have marched on – today CDFG is maintaining a good momentum based on rapid and stable development.
The Moodie Report: SARS has had a big impact on the Chinese and Asian travel industry. What kind of steps has CDFG taken during and since the crisis? To what degree has CDFG been affected by SARS and how confident are you in the future?
Gai Zhixin: In the face of the fast-developing SARS crisis, we made great collective efforts to offset the damage. Firstly, we readjusted the group’s operating policies and departmental working directions; and secondly, we ruled out any emergency preparation scenario in order to ensure the group’s normal operation. To the end of June 2003, CDFG had fulfilled its sale revenues plan for the first half with profit exceeding forecast. Because of the particular nature of CDFG’s operations, SARS’ effects on our business will show up in the second half of 2003. We have been well prepared for that.
Currently, the international travel industry is recovering rapidly and foreigners visiting China are increasing quickly. Sales in the duty free shops managed by CDFG are recovering simultaneously. We are confident that in the next one to two years, the global industry will come back to the level experienced pre-SARS.
Editor’s note: The new China Duty Free Group logo (pictured) uses traditional Chinese landscape to highlight CDFG’s national and cultural background and its pride in high-quality service.
The mountains under the CDF lettering stretch out in a natural and overlapping way to evoke strength, trust and space. Mountains symbolize the core spirit of the CDFG culture, which is defined as “˜Partnership makes you the best’. It also hints that the group’s business will develop quickly.
Gold is the colour for the new logo (honourable and elegant, gold symbolises traditional Chinese cultural dignity – Ed).
The company says: “By integrating rigidity with softness and melting straight lines into roundness, the eye-catching lettering of CDF is characterised by majesty and steadiness. Set against a backdrop of symbolic mountains, the CDF lettering emphasizes the theme of corporate branding. By blending with landscape images, it is designed to offer a strong visual memory of CDF and underline the group’s international operations and branding.
“Besides reflecting CDFG’s corporate and brand image, the logo and lettering underlines the group’s spirit of tolerance. It is also designed to create a harmonious visual effect, implying co-existence.
“As the leading enterprise in China’s duty free industry and an emerging force in China’s international tourism business, CDFG is taking on a whole new look from this logo.”
