Duty Free Philippines (DFP) and the Regent Asia Group are to jointly finance and open a 4,500sq m new luxury duty free store in downtown (dwt) Manila in 2016.

According to Regent Asia Chairman and Managing Director Jose Maria Esteban III, the new outlet will be the biggest and the first ‘luxury’ ‘galleria-style store in the country to date. [DFP already operates its very popular duty free Fiesta Shopping Mall for arriving Filipinos, which is located close to Manila Airport-Ed].

Regent Asia Chairman and Managing Director Jose Maria Esteban III.

Situated in the entertainment and casino area of Manila this new shop will offer high-end fashion clothing, perfume and cosmetics, special premium liquor presentations and confectionery aimed at high-end consumers – a sector which is growing, along with the number of Chinese customers.

The present code name for the new store is “Luxe” and Esteban said both he and Duty Free Philippines’ COO Lorenzo ‘Enchong’ Formoso are hoping to roll out the new store in the third quarter of 2016.

“Finally, I think the Philippines has a need for a luxury platform. We have two international designer teams who are slugging it out for the business at the moment,” said Esteban, who added that the project is a very exciting one.

He said the plan has also been received well by those suppliers he has disclosed it to at this week’s Tax Free Asia Pacific show in Singapore.