CHINA. Prominent travel retailer China National Service Corporation (CNSC) recorded a +183% year-on-year sales increase at its Sanya store over the three-day New Year holiday (1-3 January).
This contributed to overall sales growth during the period, with the retailer posting a +130% year-on-year increase and a +33% rise in customer traffic across its entire China store network.
The retailer aligned its offer with holiday consumer demand, strengthening its product assortment, services and in-store experiences to drive online-to-offline integration, resulting in a notable improvement in overall business performance.
Average transaction value rose sharply, underscoring the resilience and growth potential of the duty-free consumption market, supported by favourable policy measures and sustained consumer demand, CNSC noted.
The CNSC Sanya location, positioned at the forefront of the off-island duty-free policy, marked New Year’s Day with activities themed around its fifth anniversary.
By leveraging popular characters and brand partnerships, the store created interactive in-store events and digital content to stimulate holiday spending.
Across the three-day holiday period, footfall increased +109% year-on-year, online campaign views reached 634,000, and an integrated promotional model connecting offline experience with online traffic and conversion was successfully established.
The sharp sales growth at the Sanya store was supported by strong promotional activities and rising footfall over the three days.
Sales from the online member-exclusive platform and cross-border business expanded by 15 times and 18 times, respectively, reinforcing their role as key growth engines.
Among the strongest performers following the Hainan Free Trade Port’s island-wide customs closure were gold retailers, which delivered year-on-year sales growth of +390%. Leading brands, including Chow Tai Fook and Luk Fook, each recorded growth exceeding +300%.
A greater mix of high-value categories drove a +92% year-on-year increase in average transaction value, resulting in a marked improvement in gross profit margins, and reflecting the retailer’s progress in advancing its high-level opening-up strategy, CNSC said.
CNSC commented: “The strong start during the New Year’s Day holiday is not only the beginning of the New Year but also signals the company’s momentum and strategic progress. Moving forward, we will seize the opportunities presented by the customs closure of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the new off-island duty-free policies.
“We will deepen reform and innovation, focusing on optimising product supply, upgrading service experiences and innovating marketing models.
“We will fully leverage the synergistic effects of various duty-free stores, accelerate the implementation of quality and efficiency improvement plans across all outlets, and take concrete actions to serve the national strategies of expanding domestic demand and promoting high-level opening-up.
“In doing so, we will contribute CNSC’s strength to the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the development of a strong domestic market.” 🏝️
