DFS Group, the world’s leading travel retailer, and partner Shenzhen Duty Free Group, held an opening ceremony on January 31 to inaugurate the first phase of their spectacular new downtown duty-free retail complex in Haikou Mission Hills, Hainan. The ceremony was attended by VIP guests and local officials.
The complex, located within one of Hainan’s largest and most popular leisure resorts, will be completed in phases over the next two years, eventually spanning more than 30,000 square meters and boasting, among other highlights, the largest Beauty Hall in DFS’ global network.
The Mission Hills project is the result of one of the strongest partnerships to date in the booming Hainan duty-free sector, representing more than 100 years of combined expertise in duty-free retail. Shenzhen Duty Free, founded in 1980, possesses deep and broad understanding of the China domestic market. DFS, founded in 1960, brings its relationships with some of the most famous international brands, together with its unparalleled merchandising know-how, digital innovation and world-renowned store design expertise.
Revealing a glimpse into the retail excitement to come, Phase One of the new store offers an immersive and spellbinding tour of “The World in a Day”, incorporating elements from world-class DFS gallerias in locations as far away as Venice and Paris and as close as Sydney and Macau. Customers will be able to choose from an initial selection of categories including fashion, beauty, watches and jewelry, with more product assortments to be added in subsequent phases.
“The collaboration between DFS and Shenzhen Duty Free provides an unparalleled opportunity for visitors to Hainan to experience international luxury retail in one of China’s most popular holiday destinations,” said Benjamin Vuchot, DFS Group Chairman and CEO. “We look forward to creating a new world of exciting products and experiences for customers in Hainan.”
“As a responsible state-owned enterprise for over 40 years, Shenzhen Duty Free Group actively responded to the call for development of the Hainan Free Trade Port to help overcome the business difficulties created by the pandemic. We are proud to participate in this historic opportunity to grow the duty-free industry together with domestic and foreign counterparts,” said Jiangwei YOU（尤江伟）Secretary of the Group Party Committee, Chairman of the Group (集团党委书记、董事长) Shenzhen State-Owned Duty Free Commodity Group.
