Belief in duty free
Duty free will play a key role in the next phase of the resurgence, not just in the brand’s Asian heartland but also in Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. “Duty Free will be really big,” she enthuses. “I believe in duty free because I was one of the biggest agents in Korea before. In duty free (worldwide) our key customers are either Asian customers travelling in Asia or buying while travelling to Europe.”
MCM exhibited at TFWA Asia Pacific in Singapore last May and is looking forward to a successful Cannes show this month. “We had a lot of inquiries in Singapore and people were astonished that MCM was back,” Ms Kim says. On the eve of the Cannes show MCM announced the appointment of long-time and much-respected Bally duty free executive Gerry Munday as Global Travel Retail Director and Global Operations Manager.
Industry giant DFS recently opened an MCM boutique at Seoul Incheon Airport. “We have a very good track record with DFS and we are very keen to do more things with them as well as with other major travel retailers.”