Images of the Year II

A landmark day for Wangfujing Duty Free

In a milestone for China’s travel retail sector, Wangfujing International Duty-Free Harbor City was officially inaugurated in Wanning, Hainan province, on 9 April at a powerfully impressive ceremony.

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Making a statement at Haikou Meilan Airport

The Moodie Davitt Report partnered with airport advertising powerhouse Dynamic Winning Partners to welcome visitors to the third China International Consumer Products Expo (Hainan Expo) with an impactful campaign at Haikou Meilan International Airport.

The bi-lingual campaign, themed ‘The global voice of duty free & travel retail’, featured in multiple high-visibility locations at the Haikou gateway.

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On location at Hainan Expo

The third China International Consumer Products Expo (Hainan Expo), hosted by Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development (IEDB), took place from 11 to 15 April. The event brought together a huge array of international and local brands across multiple categories, including wines & spirits, beauty, and luxury.

The island’s duty free retailers were out in force too, featuring some spectacular exhibition stands. The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie was in Haikou for the event to bring readers rolling coverage throughout the week.

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Raising Smiles in Singapore

The Moodie Davitt Smile Raising Charity Dinner on 6 May raised over US$200,000 in funds and pledges for international cleft charity Smile Train, aided by the extraordinary generosity of the travel retail community. The sold-out event attracted more than 250 guests to Hotel Fort Canning in Singapore, with strong support from companies and individuals across the sector.

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A new chapter for DFS in Macau

When DFS Group reopened its T Galleria Beauty by DFS, Galaxy Macau store in late 2022 with a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony and VIP event, it marked the opening of an exciting new chapter. The luxury travel retailer seized the opportunity to reimagine the existing offer and to reach out to the property’s increasingly Gen Z and Millennial customer base in a more innovative, service-orientated way.

DFS collaborated with partners to increase the number of brands and place enhanced focus on digital elements, in-store entertainment and a story-telling approach to the beauty category that would resonate with returning customers. We discovered these elements and more on a visit in May.

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An extraordinary opening at Hamad International

The groundbreaking Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno at Hamad International Airport (HIA) aligns strongly with the house’s travel heritage while bolstering its culinary explorations.

The restaurant-lounge on the top level of the Louis Vuitton duplex opened on 22 May in association with Qatar Duty Free. The elegant, expansive space is open to Qatar Airways Gold and Platinum Privilege Club members and Louis Vuitton VIPs.

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‘Flexible, local and sustainable’

Travel Retail Norway (TRN), the joint venture between Gebr. Heinemann and Norse Trade, unveiled six eye-catchingly redesigned Tax Free Norway and Travel Value shops at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on 1 June. They cover more than 9,000sq m.

The redesign project – anchored by a refurbished 3,200sq m tax-free arrivals store which regularly sees more than 10,000 transactions a day – was carried out as part of TRN’s commitments for the five-year contract extension it was awarded in 2021.

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Creating indelible memories in Hainan

L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific and China Duty Free Group (CDFG) kicked off their third annual summer celebration event for Maison Margiela Fragrances at the cdf Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Haitang Bay, Hainan province, in early June.

The pop-up, dedicated to Maison Margiela’s signature Replica fragrances, broke new ground this year with the introduction of a café concept. Inside, customers were taken on an immersive personal journey and asked to replica 100 kinds of lazy Sunday mornings in their journeys.

Maison Margiela Fragrances Brand Ambassador, superstar Chinese singer and actress Li Yuchun (Chris Lee) graced the occasion, helping draw a huge crowd to the inauguration held in the prime promotional zone on the ground floor of the complex.

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Penfolds introduces the Digital Sommelier

Leading Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) brand Penfolds unveiled a Digital Sommelier programme that aims to “simplify the wine discovery experience” for travellers, initially through DFS Group in June.

It was introduced at T Galleria by DFS, Macau, Shoppes at Four Seasons, with the programme later featuring with Lotte Duty Free at Melbourne Airport departures.

The travel retail initiative aims to assist shoppers who may feel “overwhelmed or intimidated by the extensive wine selection in duty free shops, enabling them to navigate and find their perfect Penfolds match in a fun, engaging and educational way,” said the brand owner.

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Making magic in the City of Lights

Samaritaine Paris, owned by LVMH, celebrated the summer with a spectacularly nostalgic Paris Magic City campaign, which began in June.

Luxury travel retailer DFS Group (owned by LVMH and DFS Co-founder Bob Miller), which designed and manages the famed department store’s reimagined retail emporium, paid homage in the campaign to Samaritaine Founders Ernest Cognacq and Marie-Louise Jaÿ. They opened the doors to Paris Magic City, the city’s first amusement park, in 1900. In tribute, DFS offered an amusement park-themed makeover and a playful array of in-store entertainment.

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