In this episode of TRBusiness’ ‘Adapt & Survive’ Skype video series, Swedish beauty tech brand, Foreo reveals it is now receiving the first ‘wave’ of customers at select duty free stores which have reopened in China.

 

Speaking from the company’s Shanghai office, Global Travel Retail Director, Gary Leong told TRBusiness that Chinese customers are venturing out in small numbers to stores such as CNSC’s downtown duty free outlet in Shanghai as well as CDFG’s Haikou downtown store and its iconic Haitang Bay complex in Sanya.

 

“Talking directly to the Chinese duty free retailers May, is of course extremely important, because this is when a lot of people are travelling around China,” he said. “I believe that the island of Hainan has more or less opened up; flights have resumed. We definitely think that for May, Chinese duty free retailers are really gearing up for promotions and instore activations to cater to the first wave of Mainland Chinese travelling between provinces and visiting downtown duty free stores.”

 

However, he also insisted that getting ‘back to business’ is not the company’s only priority right now.

 

“Obviously our top priority is to ensure the health and well-being of all our employees. I guess the only thing we can control (right now) is how well they are taken care of…in the years to come, employees will remember us for this. It is not all about business, it’s not all about sales and I think it’s the right thing to do. We feel like for us there is no rush to go back to business.”

 

 

Adapt and Survive asks members of the travel retail industry community, often working from home, for their candid commentary on the constantly evolving Covid-19 pandemic.

The video series is a direct response to the industry’s critical need for direct, factual and analytical commentary and – in typical TRBusiness fashion – interprets clearly and concisely the challenges faced by travel retail during Covid-19.

To register your interest in the Adapt and Survive series, please contact one of editorial team at the following addresses: charl[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].