CHINA. Zhuhai Duty Free Group has enhanced its border shop portfolio with the inauguration of a departures duty-free store at Qingmao Port, which connects Zhuhai and Macau, on 17 July.
The opening represents an important step in “strengthening the group’s border port network and provides fresh momentum for the integration of duty-free shopping in the regional economy”, the company said.
Located on the second floor of the joint Customs building at Qingmao Port, the 90sq m store enjoys prime positioning along the main passageway for departing travellers.
The product offer focuses on a core range of wines and spirits. The retailer enhanced the store’s offerings to align with the port’s consumer demographics and travel patterns, focusing on high-demand categories and optimising the product mix to better meet customer needs.
Leveraging its highly-efficient ‘joint customs of two jurisdictions’ model, 24-hour round-the-clock operation, and seamless integration with the Zhuhai Railway Station, Qingmao Port has rapidly developed into a key gateway between Zhuhai and Macau and an important border port in the Greater Bay Area since its 2021 opening.
Citing official data, the travel retailer noted growing foot traffic at the port, with daily volumes averaging around 100,000 travellers and peak days reaching up to 134,000.
In the first half of 2025, Qingmao Port customs processed around 18 million inbound and outbound travellers, ranking among China’s highest in passenger volume terms.
Zhuhai Duty Free Group said the opening is a response to national policies dedicated to expanding domestic demand and boosting consumption.
Launched during the peak summer travel season, the store is designed to enhance shopping convenience for cross-border travellers as well as for Zhuhai and Macau residents, while contributing to the vitality of the port economy.
With frequent cross-border travel becoming a growing trend in the Greater Bay Area, Qingmao Port has demonstrated strong capacity and advantages in its operational efficiency, Zhuhai Duty Free noted.
To celebrate the opening, the Qingmao Port departures duty-free store has introduced a series of promotions, including lucky draws and coupon giveaways.
It is also taking part in the recently launched Zhuhai Duty Free Summer Shopping Festival, which covers the group’s key port stores, offering flash sales, shopping vouchers and exclusive member discounts, among other benefits.
An expanding network
As one of China’s first duty-free retailers, Zhuhai Duty Free Group has remained closely aligned with national development strategies and the economic realities of Zhuhai over the years, leveraging its robust supply chain capabilities and continuously expanding its business footprint, the group said.
“By tailoring our stores to the unique characteristics and traveller profiles of each port, we have gradually built a clearly positioned, stylistically diverse store portfolio and a coordinated operational network,” it added.
To date, the group has nearly 20 duty-free stores across land borders, seaports and airports in China, covering all major entry and exit ports in Zhuhai. Notably, Zhuhai Gongbei Port arrivals duty-free store, which recently underwent a comprehensive upgrade in both store design and product offerings, stands as a benchmark for the port duty-free experience, the group noted.
Zhubai Duty Free stores at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port and Hengqin Port have also emerged as popular destinations for cross-border shoppers, highlighted by their strategic locations and curated product selections, the company said.
As a new addition to Zhuhai Duty Free Group’s coordinated network, the Qingmao Port departures store will complement and synergise with the group’s core outlets at Gongbei, Hengqin and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, with the goal of continuously expanding the range of cross-border retail options for travellers, the group said.
Strategic transformation
Zhuhai Duty Free Group completed a major asset restructuring in 2024 and became part of Zhuhai Huafa Group Co in 2025. Since then, it has continued accelerating its transition in line with a five-year plan to “strategically exit from existing real estate holdings”.
The group is fully focused on developing a business framework centred around duty-free retail, commercial management and trade, with the goal of building a flagship platform for integrated consumer industries.
Among the three, duty-free remains its core business. The group has already established a strong presence in key national strategic areas such as the Hainan Free Trade Port and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, actively expanding and enhancing its business scale and profitability.
In commercial management, Zhuhai Duty Free Group is integrating resources to diversify consumption formats and create a new flagship brand in retail.
In trade, it is strengthening its supply chain capabilities and advancing innovation in areas such as cross-border ecommerce and smart logistics, aiming to build a full-chain platform that spans procurement, warehousing and digital marketing.
The group hopes the three pillars will ultimately form a closed-loop business model where commercial management drives duty-free growth and duty-free retailing supports trade expansion.
“Supported by the resources and capabilities of Huafa Group, Zhuhai Duty Free will continue to strengthen its core duty-free business,” the group said. “By focusing on resource integration and platform development, we aim to steadily expand into broader consumer markets and build a more resilient and dynamic port-based duty-free ecosystem.”
It added, “Through richer selections of brands and categories, better and more immersive shopping experience, and enhanced operational capabilities, we are committed to delivering a new and elevated duty free experience for our customers.” ✈
