CHINA. Zhuhai Duty Free Group today (29 September) officially inaugurated the first arrivals duty-free store in Guangxi province, at Nanning Wuxu International Airport.
The 240sq m store is located in the Terminal 2 international arrivals hall and offers a core assortment spanning perfumes & cosmetics, spirits & wine, tobacco and food.
Arriving international passengers can access the store after clearing customs.
The opening complements the airport’s existing departures duty-free store, also operated by Zhuhai Duty Free, creating a two-way duty-free offer for international passengers.
Parent company Zhuhai Duty Free Group described the opening as an important step in strengthening its South China network and filling a gap in arrivals duty-free shopping at Guangxi’s ports.
The development follows the Chinese authorities’ announcement in January of plans for 41 new arrivals duty-free shops nationwide, including one at Nanning Airport.
As reported, Zhuhai Duty Free secured the concession in June and began a soft opening on 14 September.
Nanning Airport is a key aviation gateway for Guangxi, with an international network serving several major ASEAN cities.
The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit were held in Nanning this month, underlining the city’s role in China-ASEAN trade and cross-border travel.
At the opening ceremony, Guangxi Airport Management Group Nanning Wuxu International Airport Co Ltd Deputy General Manager Su Wenhui said the store represented the implementation in Guangxi of national policies designed to optimise the port duty-free network, stimulate consumption and encourage the repatriation of overseas spending.
With both departures and arrivals duty-free stores now in place, Nanning Airport is better positioned to serve differing passenger shopping needs and support Guangxi’s international development and China-ASEAN exchanges, he added.
Zhuhai Duty Free Group Chairman and President Li Xiangdong described the project as an important element of the company’s expansion in Guangxi and its wider nationwide duty-free network development.
“Leveraging Nanning’s geographical advantage as a gateway to ASEAN, we will integrate into Guangxi’s broader opening-up and port economy and contribute to the region’s port services through quality service, sophisticated operations and diverse offerings,” he said.
Deepening regional presence amid national expansion
Founded in 1980, Zhuhai Duty Free was among the first companies approved by China’s State Council to operate duty-free businesses. It has since established a presence across airport, land border and waterway locations.
The company entered the Guangxi market in April 2022 with the opening of its Nanning Airport departures duty-free store.
To mark the arrivals store opening, Zhuhai Duty Free has introduced promotions, lucky draws and discounts across selected products.
The company said spirits & wine, tobacco, perfumes & cosmetics and food had attracted strong shopper interest during the soft-opening period.
Zhuhai Duty Free noted it plans to refine the merchandise mix and service offer according to flight schedules, passenger traffic and trading performance.
The arrivals store is also set to be relocated and upgraded as development of Nanning Airport Terminal 3 progresses.
The opening forms part of a wider expansion drive by Zhuhai Duty Free Group. Its Hengqin Port arrivals duty-free store opened on 23 September, as reported, and the company now operates 26 duty-free stores nationwide.
“Going forward, we are committed to staying focused on our core duty-free business. We will deepen our presence in the Greater Bay Area while steadily expanding our nationwide network, enhancing products and services to offer cross-border travellers a better duty-free experience,” the group concluded. ✈
