An immersive duty free experience will greet shoppers on Hainan island after DFS Group launched the second phase of its experiential store at the Times DF x DFS Haikou Mission Hills Duty Free Complex.

As reported, DFS Group and partner Shenzhen Duty Free opened phase one of the project earlier this year after the latter was awarded a licence to operate the offshore downtown business in December.

Themed ‘World in a Day’, the shop showcases interactive displays and attractions to educate and engage customers while offering prominent merchandise spanning fashion, beauty, watches and jewellery.

The Times DF x DFS Haikou Mission Hills Duty Free Complex is situated within one of Hainan’s largest leisure resorts and is rolling out in in stages over the next two years.

Once complete, the complex will cover more than 50,000 square meters and expects to boast the largest beauty hall in DFS’ global network.

BRINGING TRAVEL RETAIL TO CUSTOMERS

Benjamin Vuchot, Chairman and CEO, DFS Group said: “At a time when our treasured customers in China are unable to travel overseas, it gives us great pleasure to bring the world to them. Through our store, ‘The World in a Day’, we invite customers to visit new and familiar destinations alike, and to experience some of the best luxury products that those locations can offer, all under one roof. We look forward to unveiling even more additions to the world of luxury shopping, here in Hainan.”

On arrival, visitors can view information on DFS and scan and download a custom-made e-commerce app before entering the shop via a cylindrical tube.

Externally this mimics an airline fuselage but internally reflects the Shenzhen skyline, home to Shenzhen Duty Free Group.

Once inside, visitors will spot the first attraction: the floating city of Venice, typified by its famed canals and Renaissance architecture.

Red-and-white striped gondola poles invite visitors to step into the water against a backdrop of splashing sounds from the Grand Canal and the aroma of fresh espresso coffee.

The journey then takes visitors to Paris, with an Art Nouveau display paying tribute to the city’s distinctive Metro transport line.

Meanwhile, rose gardens release bubbles of scented vapour when touched and a nearby story-wall projects moving images of the city where DFS is expected to open its largest store to date at the La Samaritaine department store facing Paris’s Pont-Neuf.

From Paris to Australia, guests are then transported to Sydney Harbour to step aboard a racing sailboat, sharpened by an interactive digital display of a shoal of fish and gliding images over nearby pillars of some of Sydney’s most attractive destinations.

Moving to Macau SAR, the historic façade of St Paul’s illuminates a path to a room that celebrates DFS’ Masters of Time event, which has been held annually in Macau for the past decade.

Inside the room, an eye-catching hologram display greets customers and guides them through the wonders of luxury watchmaking.

The experience comes full circle as Hainan looms into view with a floor-to-ceiling display outlining future phases of the Times DF x DFS Haikou Mission Hills Duty Free Complex.