The Trinity Award for Sustainability In Action – L’Oréal Travel Retail in partnership with China Duty Free Group at cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex

In the impressive and groundbreaking beauty complex at cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex, opened in Hainan in October, L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific’s 19 boutiques – yes that’s right, 19 – stand out not just for their luxury design and world-class retail expressions, but for the protecting-the-planet principles that underpin their development.

The beauty group partnered with China Duty Free Group (CDFG) to open a store network that embraces L’Oréal’s full portfolio of brands, with sustainability right at the centre of the planning and execution.

All stores were constructed using eco-certified and recyclable materials – with the cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex becoming the first mall in China to receive the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification.

All L’Oréal boutiques at the complex follow the company’s L’Oréal for the Future sustainability roadmap. Six L’Oréal Groupe brands in the complex have also applied for LEED Certification, with Gold Label Certification expected for Lancôme, Kiehl’s, Helena Rubinstein, YSL Beauté, Armani Beauty and Shu Uemura.

All pop-ups and future animations will be built to adhere to L’Oréal Groupe’s eco-design principles which specify the use of certified recycled FSC, PESC materials that are lightweight and easily disassembled for reuse.

L’Oréal Travel Retail President Vincent Boinay neatly summed up the thinking behind the project, and the crucial role of ESG in a new world of travel retail.

“The cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex is a symbol of our 20 years of great collaboration [with CDFG]. We are proud to showcase the best of beauty with our 19 brand flagship boutiques welcoming Chinese travellers to live the exclusive L’Oréal experience, best-in-class retail expressions, best-in-beauty tech innovation, excellent service and engagement, with sustainability at its heart.”

Collectively this represents a powerful statement of channel-specific commitment to sustainability on one of the grandest possible stages travel retail has to offer. The fact that such principles are mirrored so powerfully by CDFG as retail partner adds extra lustre to this demonstration of our industry at its most progressive best.