JULY 24, 2013 - DFS Group (DFS), the world’s leading luxury travel retailer, has completed half a year of continuous renovation and upgrades to its retail spaces, including the three anchor license concessions in Liquor & Tobacco, Fragrances & Cosmetics and Airside General Merchandise, at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). With the transformation, DFS has focused on creating a premium airport retail environment and delivering a seamless shopping experience. To mark the completion of the upgrades, DFS also unveiled an exciting new retail identity and logo it has designed, in collaboration with airport management, exclusively for Hong Kong International Airport.
Since winning the coveted anchor concessions bid after a rigorous selection process and completing the handover from the previous concessionaires at the end of 2012, DFS has added 900 jobs to reach its current 1,350-person HKIA team, and quickly implemented extensive upgrades across 80,000 square feet of retail floor at the airport. Today, DFS offers travelers, both to and from Hong Kong, a more integrated and localized airport duty free shopping environment.
“After taking over these concessions literally overnight late last year, we have been working day and night to set a new standard in airport shopping,” said Benjamin Vuchot, Region President - Asia North, DFS Group. “We are very pleased to reveal this exciting new retail identity, and are confident that our customers today will enjoy our new look and expanded brand and product offering.”
Localized Merchandising, Enhanced Service and Design Enrich Customer Experience
In expanding its selection and services to meet the evolving needs of world travelers at HKIA, DFS has added a uniquely local touch to its retail floor. Immediately after entering the departures hall, travelers are greeted by the Lan Kwai Fong Bar, a cocktail bar where mixologists are on hand all day to create complimentary special drinks that bring the taste and vibrancy of Hong Kong’s celebrated Lan Kwai Fong district to the airport. Throughout the general merchandise areas, DFS has also included iconic Hong Kong products, such as Kee Wah delicacies, to invigorate the airport with the spirit and authenticity of the city.
Throughout the airport, DFS has enhanced its renowned luxury brand selection with a number of new and exclusive offerings, such as La Maison du Chocolat, the brand’s first airport store outside of Europe, and Victoria’s Secret. After becoming the first airport retailer in Asia Pacific to feature Tom Ford Beauty this July, DFS will continue to exclusively carry it in airport retail across the region until August. In spirits, DFS has also introduced Reserve, a premium wine and spirits venue, as well as a luxurious cigar room, where customers and connoisseurs can try firsthand the finest in both product categories. These latest additions to HKIA now add new dimension to the total 47 retail spaces DFS operates, including nine stand-alone brand boutiques, at the airport.
Improving levels of service, the soon-to-be-opened Beauty Concierge enables travelers to experience DFS’s highly professional and award-winning personalized beauty services. Complementing this offering, the airport’s new Client Service Manager will deliver DFS Platinum Services Club members a range of exclusive benefits at the airport, including personal shopping and concierge.
Bringing together the service and merchandising enhancements, the extensive renovations transform the DFS retail environment with chic modernity and state-of-the-art convenience. Façade upgrades include specially-developed lighted portals, illuminating all DFS-operated stores along the concourse with a strong visual presence, as well as a unified warm wooden aesthetic across all the general merchandise concessions. The result is an airport retail experience unparalleled in the world.
“The improvements we have made at HKIA represent the latest in our ongoing efforts to live up to the unique energy and very identity of Hong Kong,” said Michael Schriver, Chief Operating Officer, DFS Group. “We are constantly evolving to meet the needs of world travelers around the globe, and our retail environments, customer service and merchandising assortments will continue to reflect this dedication to anticipating and meeting their changing preferences.”
Fulfilling travelers’ desire for unique and localized shopping experiences, the new retail identity unveiled during a media tour of the airside facilities at HKIA includes iconic elements of the Hong Kong harbor blended with the unique ceiling design of the Airport concourse and the subtle inclusion of an aircraft. The design serves to elevate the sense of the location.
Mr. Schriver continued: “We have been in the midst of changes at HKIA for six months, and the extensive enhancements we are seeing today are the direct result of the motivation of our team and the support of our partners. We believe we are only at the beginning of a very exciting and successful business venture, and we would like to thank our employees and the Airport Authority Hong Kong for their incredible support during this time of transformation.”
