Page 15 - Asian Cruise Traveller Duty & Tax Free Retail

Duty Free retailers have also placed emphasis on Singapore as a key Asian location, with Heinemann Asia Pacific operating two Duty Free stores in partnership with Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC) at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore with DFS also operating two stores in the same location.
However, speaking at the TFWA Asia Pacific Conference 2015, Kai Tak Cruise Plaza Managing Director Trevor Moore highlighted several challenges of cruise terminal Duty and Tax Free retail, stating that increased awareness and promoting product offering were key priorities due to the fact that, “nobody expects to see a Travel Retail store in a cruise terminal,”.3
Therefore, although some challenges may exist going forward, such as increasing awareness, meeting the expectations of the discerning Asian traveller, and meeting the cruise market demand amid unprecedented recent growth, the future presents significant potential to drive sales growth within the channel.
Crucially, it is apparent that the offering must be tailored to meet customer expectations, and not act solely as a retail opportunity but also as an experience the passenger will enjoy and remember. To drive success operators must fully realise the potential of the onboard and on-land channel and treat the two as separate entities to offer a compelling yet differentiated proposition to travellers, with emphasis on luxury products within the overall Travel Retail mix.
3 Trevor Moore (2015) Speaking at the TFWA Asia Pacific Conference 2015
Although some challenges exist going forward, the future presents significant potential to drive sales growth within the channel going forward
Industry Insider:
Asian Cruise Traveller Duty & Tax Free Retail
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