As the duty free & travel retail industry ground to a halt across the globe in 2020, one location stood alone in providing cause for optimism: China’s holiday island of Hainan. Thanks to the Chinese government’s stimulus measures, mainland tourists have flocked to Hainan over the past year, taking full advantage of its status as a paradise for shoppers. New licences and commercial developments make Hainan the undisputed hotspot of our industry, and this session explored the latest numbers, new projects and trends.
To explore the latest customer trends in Hainan, research agency m1nd-set recently conducted a study based on interviews with 1,500 duty free shoppers on the island. The workshop featured highlights of the study presented by Dr Peter Mohn, m1nd-set Founder and President, and Clara Susset, the agency's Travel Retail Research Director. In addition, delegates heard from Han Shengjian Director of the International Economic Development Bureau (IEDB), responsible for developing Hainan's commercial potential. And senior representatives of two of Hainan's key travel retailers offered their perspectives on the offshore duty free market: Chen Hui, General Manager of Zhuhai Duty Free Group; You Jiangwei, Chairman of Shenzhen Duty Free Group; Xie Zhiyong, Chairman and General Manager of Hainan Tourism Investment Duty Free; and Ken Zhu Chief Operations Officer of CNSC Sanya Duty Free Co Ltd.