William Grant brings Perpetual Collection Hainan Meilan T2 with CDFG
From left to right: CDFG Commodity Planning and Development General Manager - Zhangbin; WG&S Managing Director Global Travel Retail, David Wilson; Actor Li GuangJie; WG&S Regional Manager Greater China Global Travel Retail, Minki Wang
To support The Glenfiddich Perpetual Collection’s launch in China, Hainan Meilan International Airport has been chosen as the latest location to host the brand’s ground-breaking Perpetual Collection pop-up concept, via an exclusive partnership with China Duty Free Group (CDFG), according to the March 16 press release from William Grant & Sons. The immersive in-person experience is available in Terminal 2 departures from February 8 to March 31.
The Glenfiddich Perpetual Collection features four single malt whiskies, each matured in vats that have never been emptied, adding to the layers of flavors. Glenfiddich’s biggest launch in global travel retail in the last decade, the collection began rolling out in the channel in August last year.
On March 2, William Grant hosted two special launch events in Beijing to mark the China introduction of The Glenfiddich Perpetual Collection. The first was a reveal for press and KOLs. This was followed by an evening event attended by the CDFG leadership team, selected VIP customers, the Glenfiddich Brand Ambassador – and Chinese actor Li Guang Jie.
“As the borders open and traveler numbers recover, we see so much potential for The Perpetual Collection in China, with Hainan representing an important destination for affluent Chinese shoppers, with duty free sales set to triple to US$46.5 billion (£41 billion) by 2025,” said David Wilson, William Grant & Sons’ Managing Director Global Travel Retail.
“Single malt Scotch whisky is the most popular western spirits category in China, and is really driving the current whisky boom. Around 85% of whisky sales by value are accounted for by Scotch, and of that, 60% is made up of single malts. As the leading brand – and the world’s most awarded single malt Scotch whisky – we are hugely excited by this opportunity,” continued Wilson.
In 2021, Hainan was visited by 40 million Chinese travelers, and generated duty free sales of RMB 49.5 billion (US$7 billion). Hainan's per capita consumer spending currently stands at RMB 16,046 (US$2,326), according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, underlining the island’s importance as a key retail location. Importantly, Chinese shoppers are permitted to shop online for duty free products six months after visiting Hainan. Moreover, at RMB 100,000 (US$14,500), their duty free allowance is the most generous in the world.
As at other locations, the Hainan Meilan Glenfiddich Perpetual Collection pop-up features motion sensors that capture the movements of travelers who enter the space, and project them in waves of color onto a digital screen, thereby creating a unique piece of evolving generative art that references the pioneering Solera Vat process by which the whisky is made.
Brand ambassadors will also invite pop-up visitors to sample the four distinctive Glenfiddich Perpetual Collection expressions. And to encourage and enhance gifting, a QR code will allow travelers to customize their chosen bottle with a written or recorded message.
“We are thrilled to support and showcase The Glenfiddich Perpetual Collection at Hainan, as it launches into China travel retail,” said CDFG Vice President Luke Chang. “We know that there is already a huge demand for single malts – and this premium, exclusive collection is sure to further drive sales and trade-up.
Chang added, “We are pleased and proud to partner with William Grant, and invest in this innovative activation. We are committed to creating unique shopping opportunities for our sophisticated passengers, who have come to expect prestige brands, first-class service, and exceptional experiences every time they travel.”
