CHINA. Hainan Development Holdings’ Global Premium Duty Free (GDF) Plaza has celebrated its fourth anniversary with an array of promotional activities.

The festivities featured a themed bus tour around the city, a traditional fire kettle acrobatics show and the online distribution of 40,000 member gifts.

Additional activities included a Good Fortune 4 scratch card lottery, offering visitors a chance to enjoy a Spring Festival shopping experience in Hainan, tapping into the growing potential of the market.

In what has become one of the retailer’s key annual promotions, the shopping centre was adorned with red decorations, setting a celebratory mood.

A giant banner reading ‘The auspicious snake brings blessings, and good fortune (four) is on the rise’ (loosely translated) greeted visitors, while crowds gathered around duty-free product counters for a shopping experience.

The anniversary festivities culminated on Friday (17 January) with a cake-cutting ceremony to mark GDF Plaza’s fourth year.

The celebration also featured a themed bus tour of Haikou’s top tourist spots, where passengers were presented with gifts and could collect exclusive gifts.

To mark the occasion, GDF Plaza distributed 1,000 complimentary lottery tickets to locals and tourists, reflecting the ‘Good Fortune 4’ theme for the new year.

A highlight of the celebration was the traditional fire acrobatics show, held outside the shopping venue, offering a vibrant display of intangible cultural heritage.

Lunar New Year shopping frenzy

To stimulate offshore duty-free spending during the Spring Festival, the Qiongshan District Business Bureau launched a consumption voucher campaign from 16 January to 28 February.

Available through GDF Plaza’s Douyin platform, these vouchers can be redeemed in-store alongside existing discounts, offering tourists additional savings.

To cater to the growing demand for offshore duty-free products during the holiday, the retailer ensured ample stock of popular items such as fragrances and spirits.

The launch of the shopping campaign also featured special pop-up stores for key spirits brands, including Hennessy and Glenfiddich, alongside makeup and brand showcases from Clarins, Cellcosmet, Erno Laszlo and others, offering shoppers festive shopping experiences and exclusive deals.

In addition, GDF Plaza has leveraged its partnerships with Meituan, Dianping, airlines, universities, banks, hotels and others to roll out  a series of celebratory initiatives, providing valuable rewards for loyal customers.

Promotional offers include exclusive discount bundles, anniversary fragrance and alcohol sets, flash sales, and buy-one-get-one deals.

A GDF Plaza spokesperson said: “The anniversary celebrations are always our happiest moment, a time for us to give back to our members and consumers. Through this fourth-anniversary celebration, we aim to kick off the first wave of sales for Hainan offshore duty-free in the new year and attract more tourists to Hainan during the Spring Festival.

“They can enjoy not only the tropical breeze and beautiful island scenery but also the fun of shopping for offshore duty-free goods. As we approach the upcoming holiday, we will ensure ample stock and excellent service, creating a personalised, diverse and high-quality duty-free shopping experience for all visitors to Hainan.” 🏝️