Hong Kong (15 April 2008)

A.S. Watson Group (A.S. Watson) turned a new page in its business development today when it officially opened the first store of Marionnaud Paris, its luxury perfumeries and cosmetics retail brand in Hong Kong. Dominic Lai, A.S. Watson Group Managing Director and Mr Jean-Pierre Thebault, Consul General de France officiated the grand opening ceremony.

The first Marionnaud Paris store is located at Tsim Sha Tsui, the busiest shopping district in Hong Kong, offering perfumeries and cosmetics products from 11 internationally renowned luxury brands including Lancome, Christian Dior, YSL, Clinique, Sisley, Jurlique, Guerlain, Clarins, Biotherm, SKII, and Shiseido, in a contemporary and modern chic environment.

These luxury brands are displayed at sophisticated beauty counters, where specialised zones for perfumeries and men's beauty products have also been designated, providing unrivalled choices for the most discerning customers.

A.S. Watson Group Managing Director Dominic Lai said Marionnaud Paris is actively expanding its store network in Europe and other countries and it is currently the largest luxury perfumeries and cosmetics retail chain in Europe with 1,220-plus stores, dominating a market share of 27% in France.

"The opening of Marionnaud Paris in Hong Kong is to pamper those beauty-conscious customers who look for quality products and service from a single retail store that incorporates a wide range of luxurious beauty brands under a spacious and carefree shopping environment.

"We have thus decided to introduce Marionnaud Paris, our luxury perfumeries and cosmetics retail brand, to Hong Kong, as it is renowned in Europe for offering a wide variety of product mix to meet different customers' needs," Mr Lai said.

Marionnaud Paris' Brand Philosophy and Services
The 2,000-square-foot Marionnaud Paris store is decorated with a major tone of luminous white and plum colours that conceptualises feminine beauty. The spray motif is a key element of the brand logo and represents the fragrant fumes radiating from the array of perfumes and the refined pores on the delicate skin, reflecting that Marionnaud Paris is the tailor-made beauty oasis for modern females to "Celebrate The Beautiful You!"

Marionnaud Paris aims at meeting different customers' needs and shopping patterns, incorporating the key elements of perfumeries and cosmetics in one go. Different from general beauty counters and department stores, the products at Marionnaud Paris are openly displayed, with professional beauty consultants readily available to provide dedicated advice to customers to enable them to understand different product features and to choose their personalised product mixes.

Marionnaud Paris' Promotional Activities
Marionnaud Paris will roll out diversified various promotions and advertisements, as well as to strengthen the communications with customers through advertisements. For example, the launch of customer card programme scheme aims at providing customers with specialised value offers for better shopping experiences. With purchases of any two products, customers can join Marionnaud Paris' members club to enjoy various excusive offers and each receive a limited- edition Marionnaud Paris bracelet as a welcome gift. Customers making subsequent purchases with membership cards within the coming seven weeks will be able to select for themselves their favourite gifts. Overseas visitors who stay in executive suites at Harbour Plaza Metropolis, Harbour Plaza Hong Kong, Harbour Plaza North Point and Kowloon Hotels will each receive a delicate velvet bracelet with purchases over $1,800 at Marionnaud Paris.

The First Marionnaud Paris Store Details:
Address:	G/F, 101 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Business Hours:	9 am to 11 pm
Customer Hotline:	+852 3541 9651; 3541 9652

About Marionnaud Paris
Marionnaud Paris is the luxury perfumeries and cosmetics retail brand acquired by the A. S. Watson Group in April 2005. With aggressive expansion of store network in Europe and other countries, Marionnaud Paris is the largest luxury perfumeries and cosmetics retail chain in Europe Its reputation is built upon trust, which has driven it to become the leading perfumery chain in France, the home of fragrances, with a market share of 27%. Its 1,220-plus store network stretches across Europe including France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Portugal, Israel, Morocco, Romania and Slovakia.

Founder Marcel Frydman acquired his first perfume store in 1984. The Group has registered exceptional growth ever since. In 1997, Marionnaud went ahead with an IPO to raise funds for development and, as a result, has acquired more than 1,100 outlets in five years. In 2002, Marionnaud continued its expansion in Europe, particularly Italy, Spain and Portugal, becoming one of the leading perfume retailers in France and subsequently the market leader in Europe.

About A.S. Watson Group
A.S. Watson Group (ASW) is the largest health & beauty retailer in the world. With a history dating back to 1828, ASW has evolved into an international retail and manufacturing corporation with operations in 36 markets worldwide. Today, the Group operates over 7,900 retail stores running the gamut from health & beauty, luxury perfumeries & cosmetics to food, electronics, fine wine and airport retail arms. Also an established player in the beverage industry, ASW provides a full range of beverages from bottled water, fruit juices, soft drinks and tea products to the world's finest wine labels via its international wine wholesaler and distributor. ASW is a member of the world renowned Hong Kong-based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Limited, which has major interests in ports and related services; property and hotels; retail; energy, infrastructure, investments and others; and telecommunications in 56 countries.

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For media enquiries, please contact：

Marionnaud Paris Rita Wong Tel： 3521 6158 / 9670 1536 Fax： 3525 0737 Email： ritaw@asw.com.hk

Frement PR Natalie Ng Tel︰  2890 8262 Fax︰ 2890 9062 Email︰ natalie@frement.com