CHINA. Global Premium Duty Free (GDF) Plaza, the fast-growing Hainan Development Holdings-controlled offshore duty free retailer, is today announced as a Platinum Partner for the Virtual Travel Retail Expo (11-15 October).
GDF Plaza (which works closely with international partner Dufry) will present a compelling digital showcase in the Hainan Discovery zone, an exciting addition to this year’s Virtual Travel Retail Expo.
The Virtual Travel Retail Expo is owned by The Moodie Davitt Report in partnership with digital and design agency FILTR.QINGWA (and co-organised this year by the Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development).
“GDF Plaza is delighted to be a Platinum Partner at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo in October, the world’s leading virtual travel retail event,” said Lim Guek Boon (Casey Lim), recently appointed as Vice President of Global Consumer Boutique (Hainan) Trading Co Ltd, which oversees GDF Plaza.
“We will be presenting our dynamic Phase 1 and Phase II retail developments to date and showcasing our very exciting Phase III future plans. We warmly invite brands from all over the world to come and visit our Platinum Suite at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo.”
Brand bonanza: Crowds pour into the much-enhanced GDF Plaza after the Phase II unveiling in late August
Luxury Swiss skincare brand La Prairie has opened its first flagship experience store in Hainan, providing GDF Plaza visitors with a professional and luxurious skincare experience and technological services
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The Moodie Davitt Report Chairman Martin Moodie said: “We are honoured and excited that GDF Plaza will be exhibiting at the Expo. In just a few months GDF Plaza has become a vibrant and successful force in Hainan’s booming offshore duty free sector.
“As a result, the HDH/GDF Plaza story is one of the most exciting in the global duty free industry. Last week’s soft opening of Phase 2 was an impressive step forward in terms of space, quality and brand range. With its plans for Phase 3 well advanced, the future for GDF Plaza looks very bright indeed.”
As reported, GDF Plaza (with support from international partner Dufry) opened the 3,000sq m Phase 1 on 31 January 2021 in the Mova Mall’s Capricorn building in downtown Haikou. On 30 August, the retailer celebrated the soft opening of the first 20,000sq m of its 30,000sq m Phase 2 in the neighbouring Aquarius building.
Here GDF Plaza has launched over 200 top global brands across categories including fragrances, cosmetics, digital products, sunglasses and other luxury brands.
The project’s third phase, located on the first and second floors of Capricorn, is now in the planning stages. It will focus on top global luxury brands in order to meet strong consumer demand.
{Click on the You Tube icon above to view further exclusive video coverage from the opening of Haikou Global Premium Duty Free (GDF) Plaza’s Phase II on Monday, in association with The Moodie Davitt Report’s strategic local partner Hainan Hinews Media Co.
In this film, shot on opening day, Lu Tianqin, Chief TV Host of Hinews.cn Media and Head of the Duty Free Channel on the hugely popular New Hainan app, interviews Casey Lim and speaks to shoppers about their reaction to the offer. Chinese viewers can click here for Tianqin’s ‘Weekly Store Visit’ programme on the New Hainan WeChat platform.}
Note: Every fortnight The Moodie Davitt Report publishes Hainan Curated, in association with Foreo, a selection of all recent stories from the offshore duty free sector in Hainan province.
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