The world’s largest permanent merchandising fixture for The John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium has been installed at Hong Kong
MTR LoWu railway station. This strategically significant location is home to
train services between Hong Kong and mainland China, with over 100m
cross-boundary travellers using the station every year.
Capitalising on direct and regular access to the upwardly
mobile Chinese working population commuting between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the
three-metre wide Emporium installation in the Free Duty store operated by
Chinese duty free retailer Sky Connection Limited and sister company Anway
Limited seeks to bring to life the Scotch strategy of Dewar’s brand owner Bacardi.
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| The John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium at Hong Kong MTR LoWu railway station |
Commuters "amazed" to be buying Dewar's on the way home
Shoppers are guided by brand ambassadors to choose from
the entire portfolio of Dewar’s aged blends and can buy the rare single malts
that go into Dewar’s, which holds the longest royal warrant for blended whisky
since the initial award from Queen Victoria in 1893.
Simon Au, Merchandising & Buying Director of Anway
Limited/Sky Connection, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for us to bring
something very special to the high proportion of our shoppers who are whisky
lovers and collectors. Whatever their preference, the John Dewar & Sons
Fine Whisky Emporium offers something for experienced older connoisseurs and
for younger collectors who may be new to discovering their own favourite. We’re
delighted with the customer feedback – people are genuinely amazed to be able
to purchase some of the world's most awarded whiskies on their commute home.”
Explaining the importance of the location for the new
Emporium, Bacardi Global Travel Retail’s Regional Director Asia-Pacific Vinay
Golikeri said: “We have looked in detail at Chinese drinking habits and believe
there is a strong opportunity to drive incremental basket spend in Scotch. This
opportunity will come from shoppers who were born during and since the economic
reform. They are already actively engaging with the discovery opportunity and
the brand intrinsics of the six single malts in our aged whisky portfolio.”
He continued: “There is a $40m incremental opportunity to
unlock in global travel retail whisky. We are convinced the key to this prize is by leveraging the appeal of
discovery brands such as ours with shoppers at the second stage of luxury. We
are delighted that Sky Connection features our most recent launches of Royal
Brackla Highland single malt whisky 12yo, 16yo and 21yo and Dewar’s 12yo, 15yo,
18yo and Dewar’s Ne Plus Ultra 30yo.”
Also taking centre stage in the whisky department of this
busy store are the entire age ranges of Aberfeldy Highland single malt Scotch whisky,
Aultmore of the Foggie Moss Speyside single malt, Craigellachie Speyside single
malt and Glen Deveron, Royal Burgh Collection.
