HTDF’s Lunar New Year sales surge highlights strong consumer demand

CHINA. Hainan Tourism Duty Free Shopping Complex (HTDF) recorded a +20% year-on-year sales increase, driven by a +27% rise in visitors following a comprehensive promotional campaign during the five-week Chinese New Year shopping period (1 January-4 February).

Describing it as a “great consumption comeback,” the retailer reported 655,500 visitors at its Sanya mall, with average spending up +27% year-on-year.

HTDF rolled out a multi-faceted campaign to stimulate holiday consumption, including curated shopping experiences, diverse promotional offers and omni-channel marketing, with plans to maintain this strategy through Q1 2025.

The retailer noted: “The first component of our 2025 comeback strategy is enriching the consumers’ retail journey by focusing on holiday shopping and creating immersive experiences.”

To usher in the New Year, HTDF introduced a custom Year of the Snake mascot and installed an array of interactive displays, encouraging visitors to snap and share photos on social media.

Building on the momentum of its Chinese New Year campaign, the retailer is set to unveil themed experiences for Valentine’s Day (14 February) and International Women’s Day (8 March). The promotions will feature pop-ups in high-traffic areas, showcasing various brands and interactive games to drive retail conversion.

HTDF has lined up 12 themed promotions for Q1, blending retail with experiences such as ‘duty-free + sporting events,’ ‘duty-free + tourism’ and ‘duty-free + art.’

The retailer’s Q1 strategy also focuses on targeted retail promotions that reflect market demand and key shopping trends. Highlights include dedicated zones for best-sellers, bonus point programmes, bundled sales, flash deals and exclusive product sets.

In addition, HTDF continues to enhance the shopping experience with value-added perks such as gifts, red envelopes and vouchers for concerts and exclusive events.

The final element of its strategy involves designing integrated marketing campaigns tailored to distinct consumer segments.

HTDF said: “We produce content on our online platforms in many different formats, including video shorts, livestreams, text and images, with the goal of giving tailor-made recommendations to our viewers. Precision is the name of the game.”

The retailer highlighted its efforts to enhance awareness of promotions and benefits, including government-issued duty-free consumption vouchers, through online ads and various channels, aiming to draw more visitors to the store.

HTDF said: “By proactively deploying this multipronged strategy, we set our goal on a successful Q1 and have been accelerating towards it from day one. In 2025, we look forward to continuously bringing new momentum to Hainan’s tourist consumption market.” Read More