CHINA. Fresh has unveiled its debut counter at Hainan Tourism Duty Free Shopping Complex (海旅免税城) in Sanya.
As reported, Hainan Tourism Investment Duty Free (HTDF) opened the 95,000sq m store last December with support from Lagardère Travel Retail.
“This launch has been part of Fresh’s continued expansion in Hainan, signaling the exciting growth opportunity we see in the China market,” said Fresh Travel Retail APAC General Manager Ji-Un Han.
“We are delighted to partner with Lagardère in Asia Pacific and Hainan Tourism Investment Duty Free to extend our intimate retail concept to Sanya downtown, forging the Fresh expression in this market.”
Fresh said that it continues to capitalise on booming Chinese consumer demand. The opening with Hainan Tourism Duty Free Shopping Complex further strengthens the brand’s presence in China’s tropical holiday “hotspot”, the company said.
The counter is the LVMH-controlled brand’s first retail counter associated with Lagardère Travel Retail outside Europe.
Lagardère Travel Retail Vice President of Duty Free Merchandising, Asia Terry Chua said: “The new Fresh store elevates not only the Fresh experience but is also in line with the strategy for Lagardère to enhance the shopping experience in Sanya with the broadest and trendiest brand portfolio. That applies especially to Hainan because it’s a leisure destination where travellers are open to new discovery.”
The retail counter enjoys a central location with significant space that ensures guests are not simply shopping the brand but experiencing it, Fresh said.
The counter has been designed in the same spirit as the Fresh flagship store in New York City’s Union Square, elevated with new elements that represent a first for Fresh Travel Retail and are designed to bring the brand’s collections to life.
These new elements include a moving pixelated canvas at the entrance and a wall in lime wash paint showcasing Fresh’s signature sky blue – designed to reflect Fresh’s beliefs of hope, optimism and nature. Fresh said that from the day the brand was created in 1991 [by entrepreneurs Lev Glazman and Ms Alina Roytberg with a small beauty boutique in Boston -Ed], Fresh has been driven by a “never complacent indie spirit where the sky’s the limit”, the company said.
Other elements are linked to the brand’s pillars of artisanship, hospitality, apothecary and tradition in a warm, interactive setting. A custom chandelier designed to resemble molecules emphasises Fresh’s leadership in science; while the mosaic tile floor replicates that of the flagship store in Union Square.
The Gift Bar allows guests to customise their gift-giving needs and enjoy complimentary artisanal gift-wrapping. The Kombucha Wall displays the Kombucha 8 benefits and its texture. These details come together to form interactive destinations where Fresh guests can “play, discover, and dream”, Fresh Travel Retail said.
Fresh Travel Retail is also the first brand to pioneer the giant outdoor 3D digital video screens at the main entrance of Hainan Tourism Duty Free Shopping Complex. These feature two impactful 3D videos that showcase the brand’s best-selling collections, the star ingredients and tell its sensorial brand story.
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