TOP 10 OPERATORS 7: DFS GROUP


LVMH half-year revenue 2019 vs 2020. Source: LVMH.


Free Ecommerce Co, which is majority-owned by Shenzhen Duty Free Group. However, while LVMH noted


DFS’ resilience in an economic environment severely impaired by the Covid-19 crisis, which led to the shutdown of international travel and closure of stores and manufacturing sites in most countries over several months, the group conceded that travel retail has been ‘severely penalised’. DFS first confirmed the closure


DFS said it registered record sales during a one-hour ‘beauty flash sale’ in August this year, livestreamed through WeChat.


“Livestreaming has become one of China’s most popular ecommerce trends, accelerated by the Covid-19 crisis.”


Christophe Marque, Executive Vice President Global Marketing and Beauty Merchandising, DFS Group


of two of its Hong Kong stores in February of this year, while revealing that its stores in Macau had also closed following the decision of the government to close all casinos and entertainment venues for a two- week period (initially). However, all seven of its stores in


Macau were permitted to reopen, with adjusted opening hours of 12.00-20.00, later that month. Then came the news that the


retailer’s T Fondaco dei Tedeschi store in Venice would operate on


Team management changes in spirits, wine, tobacco, food & gifts


TRBusiness understands that there has been some personnel changes in the DFS leadership team for Spirits, Wine, Tobacco, Food & Gifts (SWTFG). Lina Chan, Merchandising Director of


Spirits, Wine, Tobacco, Food & Gifts, has left the company (as of 31 July), and Christophe Marque – referred


to above and pictured left – will now lead the DFS Marketing team, while maintaining his SVP leadership of the


32 TOP 10 OPERATORS


Beauty business. David Chan, currently VP of Planning


for Spirits, Wine, Tobacco, Food & Gifts, will expand his role into the SWTFG Merchandising function. He will lead both the Merchandising and Planning teams for SWTFG. David will report to Ariel Gentzbourger,


EVP Global Merchandising, and Vinay Lamba, SVP Global Planning & Supply Chain.


OCTOBER 2020


reduced business hours (10am – 7pm) from 2 March. However, a DFS spokesperson maintained that there had been no cases of the virus reported at any of its stores at the time.


La Samaritaine ‘delayed’ There was unfortunately more bad news to come for DFS’ European business. In May of this year, a DFS source told TRBusiness it was probable that the group’s much-anticipated opening at the La Samaritaine department store in Paris would be mothballed until 2021. LVMH, which purchased the building in 2001, has not issued a formal statement confirming or denying the suggestion following a report initially carried by French daily newspaper Le Monde in April. The newly renovated €750 million


seven-storey department store was previously understood to be opening in April 2020. The DFS source had told this publication it was ‘unlikely’ the opening would take place this


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