“Friends visiting from out of town for the Spring Festival always make a special trip to the duty-free shops!” said Haikou resident Zhao on February 22, the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. That day, he also visited cdf Haikou International Duty Free Complex—not to shop, but to act as a “tour guide” for some buddies from Hunan.

As their journey home approached, his friends agreed they should buy some duty-free goods to take back as gifts.

On February 22, crowds filled the cdf Haikou International Duty Free Complex as they browsed and purchased duty-free products.

The Spring Festival holiday brought with it the mall’s annual consumption peak. Visitors from across the country, speaking different accents and dialects, streamed in continuously, many dressed in tropical island-style outfits. They lingered at major brand counters, consulting staff, selecting items, and placing orders. The festive shopping atmosphere was vibrant and lively throughout.

Recently, the mall introduced 17 new stores, including China’s first duty-free outlet of Zhou Liu Fu Jewelry, further diversifying its retail offerings and increasing its popularity as a holiday shopping destination for tourists.

The continued implementation of the enhanced outbound duty-free policy, combined with the first Spring Festival following the launch island-wide special customs operations of the Hainan Free Trade Port, has generated a strong concentration of visitors and further energized the island province’s duty-free consumption market.

Since the start of the Spring Festival, duty-free shops across the island have seized policy and holiday opportunities, launching a series of brand debuts and showcase events covering popular categories such as beauty products and electronics. Leveraging exhibitions, cultural and sporting events, and performances, retailers have rolled out customized promotions including member-exclusive discounts, threshold discounts, and gift-with-purchase deals.

These initiatives have deepened the integration of “culture and sports + duty-free” and “events + business tourism,” and have led to the expansion of new consumption scenarios.

At the cdf MOVA Duty-Free Shop in Haikou, the holiday atmosphere was in full swing. Interactive activities, including a “God of Wealth” parade handing out lucky bags, along with multiple discount offers, drove foot traffic and sales to new highs. Meanwhile, the GDF Plaza launched themed New Year promotions, including gift-redemption activities, live band performances, and in-store giveaways. With major brands offering discounts of up to 75 percent, the mall attracted a surge of shoppers and saw a peak in holiday consumption.

Statistics show that from February 14 to 21, the two duty-free stores achieved combined sales revenue exceeding 90 million yuan, up nearly 37 percent year on year. Customer visits surpassed 280,000, marking a year-on-year increase of approximately 72 percent.

The duty-free shopping boom has swept across the island. From February 17 to 21, total duty-free sales in Sanya exceeded 200 million yuan over five consecutive days. On February 21 (the fifth day of the Lunar New Year), the city’s four outbound duty-free stores recorded combined sales of 242 million yuan, up 214.5 percent year on year.

In Hainan, both departing travelers and an increasing number of local residents have taken the opportunity to purchase global goods for the New Year and share in the duty-free shopping experience.

“This year is different — we’re buying our New Year goods at the duty-free shop!” During the Spring Festival, the Danzhou Xiari Plaza Duty-Free Shop for Daily Consumer Goods was bustling with shoppers.

Danzhou resident He Lian bought imported fresh produce, such as Southeast Asian durians, as well as candies and beauty and personal care products from Switzerland, Germany, and France. Her shopping cart was filled to the brim.

Throughout the holiday, Hainan’s first batch of five duty-free shops for daily consumer goods in Haikou, Sanya, and Danzhou remained open, enjoying steady foot traffic and robust sales, becoming a highlight in Hainan’s Spring Festival consumption market. For local residents, these stores represent not only a new shopping venue but also a more convenient and cost-effective duty-free option for future holiday purchases.

According to data released by Haikou Customs, shopping for global New Year goods at neighborhood duty-free stores is set to become a new consumption trend among Hainan residents. During the first week following the implementation of the Hainan Free Trade Port’s “zero-tariff” policy for inbound consumer goods for island residents, total provincial sales reached 2.768 million yuan, with 16,304 transactions and 14,896 shoppers recorded. Goods purchased primarily included food and beverages, mother-and-baby products, and daily household items, reflecting strong market demand and orderly operations.

With the rollout of the duty-free policy for daily consumer goods for island residents — coupled with the earlier expansion of outbound duty-free policies to lift shopping restrictions for local residents — duty-free consumption is rapidly extending from being “tourist-exclusive” to becoming part of everyday life. Duty-free stores have launched targeted “Island Resident Duty-Free Shopping Plans” to effectively unlock local consumption potential and ensure that duty-free benefits are shared more broadly among Hainan’s residents.