China Duty Free Group (CDFG) also announced successful bids for three city duty free store projects in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Xi’an.

On 27 December 2024, China Duty Free Group successfully won the bid for the franchise service project of a duty free shop in Fuzhou City, which is the first duty free shop in the city established in the city.

China Duty Free Group (CDFG) also announced successful bids for three city duty free store projects in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Xi’an.

In addition to the six duty free shops in the city that were already in operation and are applying for transformation following the  introduction of the new policy – Notice on Improving the Policy of Duty free Shops in the City – CDFG currently has duty free shops in nine cities.

Fuzhou City

With its deep accumulation in the field of duty free and comprehensive insight into the Fuzhou market, combined with the characteristics of Fuzhou’s business-centric regional economy, hub of cultural tourism and changes in consumer demand, CDFG has determined that Hengli City, Gulou District, Fuzhou City, is to be the location of duty free shops in the city, and said it will cooperate with Fujian Tourism Development Group and Xiamen Xiangye Group to establish a joint venture to jointly operate duty free shops in the city.

Fujian Provincial Tourism Development Group is a state-owned tourism enterprise group built by the Fujian Provincial Party Committee and the provincial government to promote the transformation and upgrading of Fujian tourism around the strategic goal of ‘tourism to strengthen the province’.

Fuzhou is considered a gateway to the Maritime Silk Road, and the provincial capital city closest to Taiwan in the mainland (Photo: listwiseafford via Wikipedia).

Xiangye Group is a large-scale cross-regional and diversified state-owned enterprise group which focuses on the layout of airport industry, logistics and supply chain, tourism hotels, development, operation and management of the port economic zone and other sectors.

CDFG noted it intends to integrate the resources of each shareholder, creating a new retail model of duty free shops in the city comprised of: tax-free + taxed; import + domestic; and offline + online models which promote the high-quality development of the duty free industry in Fuzhou City and Fujian Province.

Further wins

 CDFG also successfully won the bid for three city duty free store projects in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Xi’an.

In August 2024, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the General Administration of Customs and the General Administration of Taxation issued the ‘Notice on Improving the Policy of Duty-free Shops in the City’ and a new city duty-free shop was established in each of the eight cities of: Guangzhou; Chengdu; Shenzhen; Tianjin; Wuhan; Xi’an; Changsha; and Fuzhou.

CDFG noted the establishment of duty-free shops in the city is a concrete embodiment of the implementation of the spiritual requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s relevant instructions and the promotion of consumption growth.

These policy changes are aimed at effectively guiding the return of overseas consumption of Chinese people, and the consumption of foreigners in China.

On December 17, the National Immigration Administration comprehensively relaxed and optimised the transit visa-free policy, extending the stay time of transit visa-free foreigners in China from the original 72 hours and 144 hours to 240 hours.

Shenzhen

Shenzhen is considered one of the core engines of the national central city and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, rich as it is in commercial resources, international transportation networks, and cultural and tourism heritage.

In Shenzhen, CDFG will join forces with Shenzhen State-owned Duty Free Goods (Group) Co., Ltd. and Shenye Group to establish a joint venture to jointly operate the duty free shop project.

Shenzhen is considered one of the core engines of the national central city and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, rich as it is in commercial resources, international transportation networks, and cultural and tourism heritage (Photo: Charlie Fong via Wikipedia).

Founded in 1980, Shenzhen Duty Free Group is an enterprise directly under the Shenzhen State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

It is mainly engaged in duty-free business, modern commerce, logistics and distribution and other businesses.

Shenye Group is a large-scale comprehensive enterprise group wholly owned by the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government and directly under the Shenzhen State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

Xi’an

In Xi’an, CDFG is partnering with Western Airport Group and state-owned enterprises in Shaanxi Province and Xi’an City to jointly operate the duty free shop project in the city, which will be located in Zhongda International (South Street Store), Beilin District.

Western Airport Group is affiliated to the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Shaanxi Province, with a total of 18 airports in Shaanxi, Ning and Qinghai provinces (districts).

A view of the Meibei Lake, Huyi District, Xi’an (Photo: Liuxingy via Wikipedia).

It is the second largest large-scale airport management group operating across provinces (districts) in China, and is also the cooperative shareholder of China Free Group’s exit duty-free shops at Xi’an Xianyang International Airport.

Policy changes

In August 2024, the Chinese Government announced the Notice on Improving the Policy of Duty free Shops in the City – active since 1 October – which will see the opening of a duty free store in Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xi’an, Changsha and Fuzhou.

The policy currently applies to six downtown duty free shops operated by CDFG across several commercial centres, including: Beijing; Shanghai; Qingdao; Dalian; Xiamen; and Sanya.

Plans were also implemented to place to 13 more foreign exchange and duty free shops, with the rules for travellers as follows:

Travellers must carry valid entry-exit documents and have purchased outbound air tickets or international cruise tickets, and when purchasing must present shopping receipts.

‘Travellers’, including Chinese nationals, are classified as those set to depart the country by air transport or international cruise within a 60 day period.

While there is no shopping limit for travellers, no resale is permitted, and travellers must abide by customs regulations regarding personal use quantities.

READ MORE: Discover what’s in store for the year ahead

READ MORE: Penfolds activates Champagne Thiénot pop-up at CNSC Duty Free mall in Sanya

READ MORE: Global pax numbers forecast to reach 4.22 bn in 2025, says m1nd-set report