Scental Travel Retail Asia Pacific reports that it has had a 'fantastic and exciting year' for Kiehl's Travel Retail Asia, with retail sales tripling those achieved in 2008 and the brand rising into the top

five in Korea. Hotel Lotte now ranks Kiehl's at number four with a 6.6% market share and the brand achieved more than $1m in retail sales in December 2009.

Estelle Cheng, Brand Manager of Kiehl's said that four Kiehl's boutiques opened in premium, high-traffic positions in Korea and Hong Kong in the last quarter of 2009 and in just two months after the October opening of 25.6sq m in Seoul's downtown Shilla Hotel downtown store, the brand achieved 'an astounding average monthly retail sales figure of over US$500,000.

Kiehl's says that the Shilla Hotel store now looks to be on track to become the second biggest success story in Korea after Hotel Lotte and it has also just opened its third store at Incheon International Airport.

In a statement, the company proudly pointed out that the first Kiehl's Travel Retail Asia boutique was opened at Hong Kong International Airport in 2006. In 2009, Kiehl's continued to expand its market presence in Greater China with its first downtown travel retail stores in Hong Kong with DFS Sun Plaza and DFS Chinachem. In the short time since these openings, the company reports that they have been 'very successful'.

The company added: ‘Kiehl's participated actively in the DFS opening Gala Night and other events, which attracted many customers to the store and the KCRs were able to demonstrate their high level of service quality. The increase in PRC customers' brand awareness will provide a platform upon which Kiehl's Travel Retail Asia can continue its strong growth in the Greater China region. With such strong results from these stores bringing a spectacular 2009 to an end, the success story of Kiehl's Travel Retail Asia is sure to continue from 2009 into 2010.’