From April 22nd to 24th, 2014, China Duty Free Group (CDFG) successfully held an exhibition for placing orders on tobaccos, drinks, food and other new products in Tianjin. It attracted attendance of about 300 representatives from more than 90 duty-free stores and nearly 60 brand suppliers. Zhao Feng, Deputy General Manager of CDFG, made a personal appearance at the exhibition, and personnel from relevant departments for Tobacco & Drinks Marketing, Perfumes & Cosmetics Marketing, Marketing, Operations, and Logistics also participated in the exhibition.
This order placing exhibition brought together about one hundred well-known brands from home and abroad, including imported drinks brands: Martell, Remy Martin, Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker, Bacardi, Jack Daniels, and Camus; homemade drinks brands: Yanghe, Luzhou, and Gujing; imported cigarette brands: Marlboro, 555, Nanyang Double Happiness, Davidoff, and Dannemann Cigar; homemade cigarette brands: Yuxi, Zhenlong, Alishan, Furongwang, and Changbaishan; food brands: Nature's Bounty, Schiff, Comvita, Korea’s Cuchen, Ya-man, Foreo, Breo and Victorinox. The order placing meeting also introduced new products including: Cutty Sark, Chateau D’esclans Rosé, Louis Roederer, Luzhou Laojiao Tequ liquor, Hougongfang, Tang Song Rice Wine Zuimei, Davidoff, J. Cortes, Cohiba, Tianhuawubao, Zhenlong, Furongwang Diamond, Luna, and Cuche.
Through active communication with brand suppliers during the order placing process, representatives of various duty-free stores learned the general trend of tobacco sales and the market planning for new product launch. Meanwhile, the brand suppliers also understood CDFG’s advanced management concepts and huge development potentials. All representatives of duty-free stores actively took part in ordering new products to prepare goods for the upcoming season of sales. With a harmonious atmosphere at the exhibition, the cooperation and exchanges between duty-free stores and brand suppliers were enhanced. This order placing exhibition again saw new records in terms of conclusion of over 9,500 boxes of tobacco and drinks orders worth nearly RMB 27 million and of more than 18,000 food orders valuing over RMB 3 million, achieving win-win situations for both order quantity and order amount.
At the order placing exhibition, CDFG Marketing Department discussed with major tobacco suppliers of British American Tobacco, Philip Morris, Pernod Ricard and Diageo as well as some representatives from duty-free stores over the future cooperation mode between CDFG and various brand suppliers and its affiliated stores in marketing activities. Supplier representatives said that they would offer full cooperation and great support to CDFG in marketing activities and would maintain close communication with CDFG regarding resource allocation and content planning. Meanwhile, they would pay more attention to the preference of customers so as to achieve organic integration of CDF brand and supplier brands and deliver additive effects. These positive discussions and exchanges provided a new way of thinking for both sides to further broaden cooperation channels and establish a new partnership.
During the exhibition, tobacco and drinks suppliers shared with us new marketing concepts such as new product promotion strategies as well as brand and store management through a two-day training consisting of eight sessions, allowing representatives of various duty-free stores to have a further understanding of brand development and new product information.
In addition, some representatives of duty-free stores also put forward positive suggestions concerning integrated planning, management and promotions of the headquarters, hoping that CDFG could integrate a variety of promotional activities for unified planning and execution, and ensure the integrity and professionalism of promotional activities to enhance consumer favorability of CDF brand.
On the basis of summarizing experience in previous order placing exhibitions, this order placing exhibition was efficient, economical, reasonably planned and well organized in terms of investment attraction, exhibition organization and layout, marking a great success and achieving the desired results. The success of the 2014 CDFG exhibition for placing orders on tobaccos, drinks and food in Tianjin will definitely fuel and promote further development of the duty-free market and duty-free business!
