CHINA. With just 22 days left before the start of the critical Golden Week holidays, all Sanya downtown duty free stores remain closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak on the island. However, new locally transmitted cases have tumbled dramatically in the past few days, leading to rising optimism of an imminent reopening.
The HTDF and CNSC stores have been closed since 4 August and China Duty Free Group’s sector-leading CDF Mall in the Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Haitang Bay since 5 August.
As reported, the stores in Haikou run by China Duty Free Group, GDF Plaza and Shenzhen Duty-Free Group/DFS, have been trading since 28 August after being forced to close on several occasions due to the crisis centered in Sanya.
Retailers and brands continue to watch the situation anxiously, hoping that this traditional shopping bonanza period which usually kicks off in the last week of September, can be saved.
China Duty Free Group confirmed to The Moodie Davitt Report that the Haitang Bay complex remains shut. But it, like other Sanya retailers, will take heart from a big fall in new locally transmitted case numbers. According to the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China, just two new indigenous cases were reported by midnight on 7 September.
New locally transmitted infections in Hainan over recent days (excludes asymptomatic cases)
7 September: 2
6 September: 13
5 September: 30
4 September: 14
3 September: 24
2 September: 40
1 September: 27
31 August: 24
30 August: 36
29: August: 37
28 August: 34
27 August: 70
26 August: 91
25 August: 111
24 August: 217
23 August: 246
22 August: 205
21 August: 232
20 August: 440
19 August: 469
18 August: 441
17 August: 496
16 August: 482
15 August: 426
14 August: 582
Source: National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China
New China market launch
In July The Moodie Davitt Report launched 穆迪达维特中国旅游零售报告 – The Moodie Davitt China Travel Retail Report, a digital magazine dedicated to our industry’s hottest market.
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