Travel Retail Conference Hails ‘China Century’

SHANGHAI — The evolving nature of the Chinese consumer and the importance of technology were major themes of the Tax Free World Association China’s Century Conference, held here earlier this month. The three-day conference was attended by hundreds of delegates from China and around the world, including representatives from international luxury brands such as Calvin Klein, Chanel, Bally and Furla. For TFWA president Erik Juul-Mortensen, the conference’s main points included catering to the changing needs of Chinese consumers with more unique and bespoke offerings and investing in technologically savvy marketing and promotional activities. “The growing importance of experience, the individualization of the Chinese consumer, their growing sophistication and focus on quality in both products and customer service, as well as the need for an online presence to complement, but not replace, the traditional retail model. These are all important for our industry,” he said. There’s little doubt that the Chinese consumer is a vital part of the international tax-free and travel retail sectors, with 2014 seeing the wider world inundated with more than 100 million outbound Chinese travelers who spent $165 billion, according to Chinese government estimates. Though these numbers are already substantial, they are only expected to rise over the coming five years. “Emerging Asia

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