Haikou Meilan Airport Duty Free Company has reported a +47% increase in year-on-year sales in the period from January to November 2014, to CNY800 million (US$129 million). In that time the retailer sold 1.24 million items.
Cosmetics, watches and bags rank as the top three best-selling categories, and their combined sales account for about 70% of the revenue at Haikou Meilan Airport Duty Free.
The sharp revenue increase is the result of shop upgrading in 2014. The new-look Hailou Meilan Airport Duty Free has been expanded to nearly 5,000sq m of commercial space with over 200 brands.
At the beginning of 2014, a new Beauty and Fragrance Pavilion opened following a six-month project. This has helped drive fragrances & cosmetics sales by +40% in the first 11 months compared to the previous year, and included the introduction of a more diverse range of international brands including La Mer, Giorgio Armani, Sulwhasoo, Helena Rubinstein, Kiehl’s, Benefit, Bobbi Brown and Shu Uemura.
A Korean Pavilion opened in August, taking advantage of the popularity of Korean culture in China. This offers a Korean cultural experience and a range that include cosmetics, bags and home furniture from brands including Louis Quatorzel, Hazzys, Charmzone, Missha, L&P, Tony Moly, Mizon, Cuckoo and Happycall.
In November 2014, an upgraded Lifestyle Pavilion revealed a new image to airport travellers with technology brands including Philips and Braun. This was followed by the opening of a Fashion Pavilion in late November, which houses Cartier, Celine, Miu Miu, Michael Kors, Furla, Lacoste, Calvin Klein Jeans, Samsonite and Pandora.
As China’s first offshore airport duty free shop, Haikou Meilan Airport Duty Free sales reached CNY1.8 billion (US$291 million) in the period from its opening in December 2011 until the end of Q3 2014.
