CHINA. Zhuhai Duty Free Group hosted a Grand Opening ceremony yesterday (26 February) to celebrate the inauguration of its Yichang Sanxia International Airport store in China’s Hubei province.
The 226sq m duty-free shop is located in the departures hall on the second floor of International Terminal 1.
It primarily offers tobacco, wines & spirits, cosmetics, fragrances, fashion, local specialities and souvenirs, featuring over 100 well-known domestic and international brands, Zhuhai Duty Free Group said.
As reported exclusively by The Moodie Davitt Report, Zhuhai Duty Free Group was awarded the contract on 18 June last year.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was graced by Yichang Deputy Mayor Tang Ming; Yichang Municipal Bureau of Commerce Party Secretary Li Zhiyong; Xiaoting District Party Secretary Zuo Xiao; Chairman of Yichang Sanxia International Airport Xu Zuoqiang; Chairman of Zhuhai Duty Free Group Chen Hui; and Deputy General Manager of Zhuhai Duty Free Group Jiang Jizhou.
As Zhuhai Duty Free Group’s first airport duty-free store in central China, the Yichang Airport operation fills a gap in the city’s duty-free and high-end travel retail markets, the retailer said.
The store will play an important role in enhancing the regional aviation port’s capability and appeal, deepening Yichang’s cooperation with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and meeting travel consumers’ demands for a more pleasant travel experience, Zhuhai Duty Free noted.
Xiaoting District Party Secretary Zuo Xiao remarked that, as Hubei’s first regional airport duty-free shop, the outbound store is set to become a new calling card of the Yichang Airport Economic Zone.
It signifies a breakthrough in Xiaoting District’s efforts to further open up its economy and release the potential of airport commercial development, he noted.
In his speech, Zhuhai Duty Free Group Chairman Chen Hui said: “With the care and support of Yichang’s government, we, together with our partners, will actively respond to the national call to promote consumption and expand domestic demand.
“Zhuhai Duty Free aims to tap into market potential and make greater contributions to Yichang’s continuous high-quality development.”
The store inauguration comes hot on the heels of Zhuhai Duty Free Group opening its Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport departures duty-free store in January.
The airport is located in Guangdong province in south China. The retailer won the contract on 15 April 2024.
Looking to the future, the Group said it will continue to meet the evolving needs of travellers, further leverage its resources and create more attractive consumption scenarios.
The consecutive contract successes and subsequent openings will lay a solid foundation for the company’s ensuing expansion into China’s various regional duty-free markets in major cities, Zhuhai Duty Free added. ✈
