CHINA. Hainan offshore duty-free sales climbed +4.1% year-on-year to reach CNY3.82 billion (US$569 million) during the peak summer holiday months of July and August. That’s according to newly released data from Haikou Customs.
Some 690,000 shoppers purchased a total of 3.809 million items, with these figures representing increases of +0.3% and +3.4% respectively year-on-year.
A Hainan government statement highlighted rising tourism consumption over the summer, with large-scale concerts contributing to visitor volumes.
Leveraging concerts as an opportunity to drive business, an exclusive ‘one ticket, city-wide access’ promotion in Sanya was supported by duty-free retailers, which offered fans discounts and other shopping perks.
Family travel to Hainan also increased sharply over the summer, said the authorities, supporting sales increases.
Leading duty-free shops across the island launched exclusive summer promotions across categories such as confectionery, toys, fashion, jewellery & watches and spirits & wine.
These offers – combined with government consumption vouchers, ‘spend-and-save’ discounts, and special deals for students – helped drive sales growth, notably in general merchandise and cosmetics, said the statement.
To ensure smooth communication, duty-free shops assigned dedicated sales staff to assist foreign travellers, noted the government statement.
From the beginning of the year through to the end of August, Haikou Customs recorded CNY112 million (US$16.7 million) in duty-free purchases from 16,500 travellers leaving the island and departing the country, covering 64,500 items. 🏝️
