Moodie Davitt WeChat: Key stories from Week 32

CHINA. We are pleased to bring readers a summary of recent posts on The Moodie Davitt Report’s WeChat Official Account as the platform continues to grow strongly in China, with stories posted in Chinese and English on a daily and weekly basis.

The Moodie Davitt Report offers unrivalled Chinese language coverage of key China-related stories, anchored by our dual WeChat platforms – our weekly Moodie Davitt Account (currently with an impressive 5,990 followers) and Moodie Davitt Report China Travel Retail Express (2,777 followers), which publishes daily.

The Moodie Davitt Report is the only international travel retail media title to offer a WeChat service. That means our stories are reaching right across the Chinese travel retail ecosystem.

Our platforms complement the strong and growing Chinese readership of our English language service.

Scan the QR codes via WeChat to visit our dual platforms. The Moodie Davitt Report is the only global travel retail title to publish on WeChat. Stories related to the Chinese and international travel retail sector at home and abroad are featured in this unrivalled service. For native content opportunities please contact Zhang Yimei (China) at Yimei@MoodieDavittReport.com or Irene Revilla (International) at Irene@MoodieDavittReport.com. For editorial please reach out to Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com

Moodie Davitt WeChat is curated under the direction of Penelope Zhou, our Hong Kong-based Chinese Editor, and company Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie, also in Hong Kong. The Special Administrative Region is also the base for our Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking Head of Events, Vincci Chung.

The Moodie Davitt Report Hong Kong team: (From left) Vincci Chung, Penny Zhou and Martin Moodie

They are supported in Hainan by Chief China Representative Zhang Yimei, former Deputy General Manager at Hainan Tourism Investment Duty Free Co (HTDF), who heads our Moodie Davitt Hainan-based entity, which publishes Moodie Davitt China Travel Retail Express.

Dachang Wang, who had spent two years with HTDF as Brand Manager, serves as Editor of Moodie Davitt China Travel Retail Express reporting to Zhang Yimei.

High class in Hainan: Pictured from left are Zhang Yimei and Dachang Wang
For native content enquiries, international companies should contact Publisher Irene Revilla at Irene@MoodieDavittReport.com while Chinese brands can contact Yimei Zhang at Yimei@MoodieDavittReport.com.

《穆迪达维特免税报告》是唯一进驻微信平台的国际旅游零售行业媒体。《穆迪达维特免税报告》微信公众号现有5,836名关注者,在现有英文平台日渐壮大的中文读者群体基础上实现更广泛触达。如需咨询英文原稿,请联系出版负责人Irene Revilla(邮箱:Irene@MoodieDavittReport.com + Yimei@MoodieDavittReport.com)

You can see highlights below from our latest edition. 本周热点资讯一览如下。

Golden opportunity: South Korea’s temporary visa waiver for Chinese group tourists, effective from 29 September 2025 to 30 June 2026, has been positively received by the travel retail sector ahead of the Golden Week holiday. Key retailers such as Lotte Duty Free and The Shilla Duty Free anticipate increased footfall and are rolling out targeted promotions and travel partnerships in response. Click here for our WeChat story and here for our original English version. 
Kérastase makes a splash: L’Oréal Travel Retail and China Duty Free Group celebrated a successful July activation for Kérastase with the Summer Beach Club campaign at cdf Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex. The French Riviera-inspired pop-up, paired with a full brand takeover at Rosewood Hotel Sanya, offered travellers an immersive brand experience in a vibrant beach-themed setting. Click here for our WeChat story and here for our original English version. 
Outbound market at a glance: ITB China’s latest report, produced with Trip.com Group and Tourism Economics, delivers data-driven insights into the shifting demographics of China’s outbound travellers. With Millennials and Gen Z leading demand and active seniors becoming an influential consumer group, the report guides industry players toward informed, future-ready strategies. Click here for our WeChat story and here for our original English version. 
Shifting market momentum: L’Oréal reported solid H1 growth with revenues reaching €22,473.3 million (+1.6% reported), buoyed by strong performance in emerging markets and a rebound in Mainland China. Q2 results showed regional variations, as North Asia’s steep double-digit drops weakened the overall growth. Click here for our WeChat story and here for our original English version. 
June duty-free sales snapshot: South Korea’s duty-free sales slid -9.5% year-on-year in June to KRW1.08 trillion (US$779.8 million), despite a rise in shopper numbers, according to official data. The decline was led by a sharp -13.2% fall in foreign shopper sales and a -15.3% drop in downtown duty-free revenues, while international airport duty-free sales rose +20.1% amid recovering outbound travel. Click here for our WeChat story and here for our original English version. 
Rent row reignites: Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) is facing a deepening rift with key tenants The Shilla Duty Free and Shinsegae Duty Free, as the airport company refuses to participate in court-led arbitration over proposed -40% rent cuts. IIAC argues that the existing contracts remain valid and that current market conditions do not justify legal changes under Korean lease law. Click here for our WeChat story and here for our original English version. 
Recovery on track: DFS Group continues to reduce its losses through cost-cutting and the closure of underperforming Galleria locations. The group reported notable progress, though profitability is yet to be achieved. Click here for our WeChat story and here for our original English version. 
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