The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
China’s largest travel and duty free retail player has successfully applied to the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) to list in Hong Kong, according to the public filings. The IPO is expected to raise between $54.6 billion HKD ($7.04 billion) and $78 billion HKD ($10.05 billion).
China Duty Free Group (CDF Group) holds three of China’s 10 duty-free retailer licenses. Last year, its revenue reached 52.60 billion yuan ($8.23 billion), up about 8.2 percent year-on-year, while net profit reached 6.14 billion yuan ($960.58 million), up 32.57 percent.
Hainan province is its biggest revenue source with revenue of 30 billion yuan ($4.69 billion) last year, accounting for more than half CDF Group’s total revenue. The Group has eight duty-free stores on the island as well as the world’s largest duty-free commercial complex and has been listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange since 2019.
CDF Group is also facing growing challenges as the number of duty-free retail players in China grows, analysts say. The IPO in Hong Kong opens up the possibility of international market expansion, or M&A activities.
The French beauty giant’s two latest deals are part of a wider M&A push by global players to capture a larger slice of the China market, targeting buzzy high-end brands that offer products with distinctive Chinese elements.
Post-Covid spend by US tourists in Europe has surged past 2019 levels. Chinese travellers, by contrast, have largely favoured domestic and regional destinations like Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan.
While travel to Europe remains muted, Chinese shoppers are flocking to Singapore, Thailand and other Southeast Asian destinations where fashion retailers are hoping Lunar New Year marketing investments will pay off.
Local fashion designers experimenting with puffers and other down clothing have scored collaborations with outerwear companies like Moncler and attracted the attention of prominent international retailers like H.Lorenzo.