DFS and China Tourism Group Duty Free agree on sale and purchase of DFS’s Greater China retail business

DFS, a global leader in luxury travel retail owned by LVMH and DFS’ co-founder and shareholder Robert Miller, and CTG Duty-Free, a prominent travel retail operator headquartered in Beijing, have announced a definitive agreement for CTG Duty-Free to acquire DFS’ travel retail business in Hong Kong and Macau and intangible assets in Greater China.

Through this transaction, CTG Duty-Free will acquire the DFS retail stores in Hong Kong and Macau as well as intangible assets encompassing a series of DFS brands and intellectual properties for exclusive use in Greater China. CTG Duty-Free will conduct the acquisition through its wholly owned subsidiary, China Duty Free International Limited. The proceeds of this transaction will be paid in cash. Following this transaction, DFS will continue to operate its other luxury travel retail operations worldwide.

In a complementary move, LVMH and the Miller Family will participate in a capital increase of CTG Duty-Free by subscribing to newly issued H-shares listed in Hong Kong. The subscription amount represents a small part of their proceeds, and the subscription will be made upon completion of the transaction.

CTG Duty-Free and LVMH also entered into a memorandum of understanding pursuant to which both parties aim to set up a strategic cooperation notably in the retail sector where the strategies of both parties are aligned and in line with the current business model of the LVMH Maisons. This cooperation will offer CTG Duty-Free and LVMH opportunities to leverage their respective strengths and forge further collaborations in Greater China to achieve mutual benefits, e.g. in the areas of product sales, store establishment, brand promotion, cultural communication, travel services or customer experience.

Luke Chang, Executive Director and President of CTG Duty-Free, said, “This move will further expand CTG Duty-Free’s service network across the Greater Bay Area, aiming to build a platform for promoting China-chic brands globally and establish an international business mid-platform. CTG Duty-Free remains committed to providing high-quality travel retail experiences to both domestic and international tourists, fulfilling its responsibility as a central state-owned enterprise-controlled listed company to support the high-quality development of the retail economy in Hong Kong and Macau. Executed under the leadership of its parent company, China Tourism Group, this represents a significant step in accelerating CTG Duty-Free’s international business layout and actively implementing the Greater Bay Area Strategy and the “China-chic Brands Going Global” Strategy.”

Ed Brennan, Chairman and CEO of DFS, commented, “The sale of our Hong Kong and Macau stores marks an important step for DFS. DFS’ well-established presence and operational excellence in Hong Kong and Macau is an achievement we take great pride in. The DFS shopping experience will be carried forward and enhanced by the new skills and perspectives that CTG Duty-Free will bring. We are proud of our journey in this region and grateful to everyone who has been a part of it.”

Michael Schriver, President of LVMH for North Asia, added, “For decades, DFS has played a pivotal role in shaping Hong Kong and Macau into premier destinations for travel retail. As we look to the future, we consider China Tourism Group Duty Free to be the ideal partner to operate the DFS business in Hong Kong and Macau and to lead it into its next chapter, thanks to their expertise and proven track record in travel retail. This whole operation underscores our confidence in the long-term potential of the Chinese market."

The completion of this transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in around two months. China Galaxy International acts as the sole financial advisor to CTG Duty-Free for this transaction, King & Wood Mallesons acts as the legal advisor to CTG Duty-Free, and Freshfields acts as the legal advisor to DFS and LVMH.