Hong Kong’s largest permanent merchandising installation of The John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium has been unveiled in a railway station by Bacardi Global Travel Retail.
It has partnered with Chinese duty-free retailer Sky Connection and sister company Anway to launch the Free Duty store inside Hong Kong MTR Lo Wu station, the base for train services between Hong Kong and mainland China, with more than 100 million cross-boundary travellers moving through the station every year.
Brand ambassadors at the 3m-wide emporium guide shoppers through the Dewar’s portfolio. It also showcases Aberfeldy Highland Single-Malt Scotch Whisky, Aultmore of the Foggie Moss Speyside Single Malt, Craigellachie Speyside Single Malt, and the Glen Deveron Royal Burgh Collection.
“We have looked in detail at Chinese drinking habits and believe there is a strong opportunity to drive incremental basket spend in Scotch,” says Bacardi Global Travel Retail Asia-Pacific director Vinay Golikeri.
“This opportunity will come from shoppers who were born during and since the economic reform. They are already actively engaging with the ‘discovery’ opportunity and the brand intrinsics of the six single malts in our aged whisky portfolio.”
Bacardi sees a US$40 million incremental opportunity in global travel retail whisky. “We are convinced the key to this prize is leveraging the appeal of discovery brands with shoppers at the second stage of luxury,” says Golikeri.
Anway/Sky Connection merchandising and buying director Simon Au says a high proportion of their shoppers are whisky lovers and collectors.