Our regular feature celebrates memorable scenes, moments, launches and campaigns related to the global aviation and travel retail sphere.
HONG KONG, CHINA. Today’s photo selections for our popular column in association with New Zealand gin Strange Nature offer ready evidence of the bounceback in Mainland Chinese visitor numbers to Hong Kong – and spending to go along with it.
Citygate Outlets in Tung Chung on Lantau Island is Hong Kong’s leading outlet mall and since its opening in 2000 has traditionally been a hot shopping spot for Mainlanders. Historically, weekends in particular saw the mall packed with suitcase-carrying shoppers from across the border, enjoying more than 150 world-renowned premium brands, and over 40 international dining hotspots.
From late August 2019, the retail line-up included the world’s number one travel retailer, China Duty Free Group (CDFG), which opened a 1,000sq m perfume and cosmetics flagship cdf Beauty outlet (later complemented by a high-end wines & spirits boutique) described as “a new one-stop duty free shopping experience for travellers from all over the world”.
The location with its heavy footfall seemed ideal, the timing good.
And then… well you know the rest.
Much of that trade dried up during the pandemic, Citygate’s familiar frenetic consumer buzz muted and only Hong Kong residents doing any shopping.
A visit by The Moodie Davitt Report yesterday confirmed, however, that the good times are back for Citygate Outlets and for CDFG. The vast shopping mall was packed with customers; the boutiques from Chloé to Coach, Bluebell to Breitling, all doing good business.
So was CDFG, which after all the frustrations of the past three years surely deserves the success that is now returning. ✈
