Following the opening of the first Martell boutique in Hainan earlier this year, Pernod Ricard is further expanding its presence in China. The opening in Shenzhen represents Pernod Ricard’s first boutique in travel retail, and focuses on ‘retail theatre powered by digital’.

Simon Van Moppes, North Asia general manager of Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail addresses the importance of Hainan for the brand: “If we go back a year and a half, wines and spirits were not being sold duty free in Hainan. We’ve had a unique opportunity to start from scratch in a new location with a fantastic set of mature shoppers and consumers. Our surveys show that 70% of Chinese travellers expect more exciting features and digital services from their retail experiences, so this environment has provided the opportunity for us to accelerate our market introduction and retail innovation plans, including the unveiling of our first duty free portfolio boutique with Shenzhen Duty Free at Mission Hills.”

Alongside the full Martell range, the boutique’s offering includes Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal and Royal Salute scotch whiskies, as well as whiskies from The Glenlivet and Secret Speyside ranges.

Travellers can also purchase rare whiskies including the exceptional Royal Salute 52 year-old and The Glenlivet 50 year-old, and choose from the full Caperdonich range, introduced to China’s duty-free market for the very first time.

In terms of innovation, the store features integrated merchandising screens, an AI ambassador, and a tasting bar to sample products both neat and within cocktail serves. According to the company, the in-store digitalisation can reduce carbon emissions thanks to preventing the need to remove and replace merchandising units or POS materials.

Liya Zhang, VP marketing of Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail said: “This boutique represents a milestone for Pernod Ricard and our growth in global travel retail. It is not only our first portfolio boutique in duty free, but also another opportunity for us to bring our vision of the future of retail to shoppers – retail theatre powered by digital, immersing travellers in every aspect of the shopping experience.”