On December 28, China Duty Free Group (CDFG), under its SH.601888 listing, opened the C area of cdf Sanya International Duty-Free City. Notably, this is the world’s first standalone commercial complex specializing in premium beauty and perfume products.
As introduced by CDFG, located in the C area of cdf Sanya International Duty-Free City, the “Global Beauty Plaza” covers an architectural area of 78,000 square meters. It primarily focuses on high-end fragrances and beauty products, introducing a total of 132 fragrance brands. Along with dining and other one-stop service brands, the total number of operational brands in Area C reaches 176, including several brands introduced to the Hainan duty-free market for the first time. (For a detailed list of brands, see the end of the article.)
Highlighting the area, the world’s first double-story flagship stores for LANCOME and ESTEE LAUDER’s global travel retail, and Dior’s double-story beauty flagship store, are set to open soon.
Brands like Le Labo, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, and Pat McGrath Labs, which are niche overseas perfume and beauty brands, are entering the Chinese travel retail market for the first time. Among them, LE LABO’s store is the largest standalone boutique in the duty-free channel in the Asia-Pacific region.
Other significant stores include:
- SHISEIDO’s first global travel retail store featuring Japanese Zen garden design.
- La Prairie’s largest global travel retail specialty store.
- The world’s first SK-II Pitera Living Energy flagship store.
- Cartier’s first perfume boutique in Asia-Pacific.
- Penhaligon’s global retail exclusive design – the “British Air Travel” flagship store.
(Information source: cdf Sanya International Duty-Free City’s official promotional video)
Reportedly, the standalone building in cdf Sanya International Duty-Free City’s Area C, designed by internationally renowned firms Foster + Partners and VP from France, draws inspiration from yachts docked at harbors, integrating the theme story “Fragrant Journey” into the architectural style. The atriums themed “The Journey of Seeds,” “The Wizard of Oz,” and “Fragrant Monsoon,” along with the artistic corridors themed “Spacetime Travel” and “Flower Gallery,” organically connect Buildings A, B, and C of Sanya International Duty-Free City, symbolizing the vigorous vitality brought by the unique climate at latitude 18° north.
In terms of customer experience, Area C of cdf Sanya International Duty-Free City is focused on creating Hainan’s first integrated SPA center, offering consumers an immersive healing experience.
The interior of the Global Beauty Plaza in cdf Sanya International Duty-Free City Area C, photographed by Luxeplace.com
The interior of the “Global Beauty Plaza” in cdf Sanya International Duty-Free City Area C, photographed by Luxeplace.com
The interior of the “Global Beauty Plaza” in cdf Sanya International Duty-Free City Area C, photographed by Luxeplace.com
Area A of cdf Sanya International Duty-Free City officially opened in September 2014, covering a total construction area of 120,000 square meters; Area B opened in January 2020, with a total construction area of about 65,000 square meters. In the past two months, leading luxury brands Louis Vuitton and Dior opened their first stores in Hainan at Sanya International Duty-Free City, signifying the continuous strengthening of the brand matrix in Sanya and the entire Chinese travel retail industry.
According to data from the Sanya Statistics Bureau, since December 2022, Sanya’s total tourism revenue has steadily increased, surpassing 80 billion yuan in November, an increase of over 100% year-on-year.
On October 8, CDFG released its performance report for the first three quarters of 2023, showing revenues of 50.837 billion yuan, a 29.14% year-on-year increase, and a net profit of 5.199 billion yuan, up 12.33% year-on-year. The third quarter alone saw revenues of 14.979 billion yuan, a 27.87% increase year-on-year, and a net profit of 1.333 billion yuan, a whopping 93.19% increase.
The newly opened Area C of Sanya International Duty-Free City is part of Phase 1, Plot 2. In 2024, CDFG will collaborate with Swire Properties to develop Phase 3 of Sanya International Duty-Free City, covering an area of about 200,000 square meters. The project will be connected to Phases 1 and 2 via pedestrian walkways and will be completed in stages starting in 2024.
Attached: Partial list of perfume and beauty brands at cdf Sanya International Duty-Free City
| Photo Credit: Luxeplace.com on-site photography, CDFG official website, cdf Sanya International Duty-Free City WeChat video account, cdf Sanya International Duty-Free City mini program, Sanya Municipal People’s Government official website
丨Reporter：Liu Jun
| Editor: LeZhi
