Hong Kong (24 June 2008)
Hong Kong International Airport ("HKIA"), as the strategic gateway to China and the hosting city of the Olympic Equestrian Event, is probably the second most important front to receive millions of global travellers to the grand occasion of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Coinciding with the company's 10th anniversary, Nuance-Watson (HK) takes pride to launch the first airside Beijing Olympic themed booth at HKIA, offering a wide selection of official Olympic merchandise. The booth is strategically located in the heart of Terminal 1 Departures East Hall on Level 6, the centre of attention around the main boutiques, from June to end August 2008 with special support from the Airport Authority Hong Kong.
"Beijing Olympic is the pride of every Hong Kong and Chinese people. We feel honoured to be able to contribute a part in realizing Beijing Olympic Games' concept of "One World One Dream" at HKIA, the strategic gateway of China and also the official airport for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events. Capitalizing on the extensive operational experience and in-depth customer knowledge we have acquired during our 10 successful years at HKIA, we are committed to showcase the "Best of China" in the highest level of standards to the world that complement to the world-class image of HKIA. Our ultimate goal is to create a unique merchandising environment and produce an interactive Olympic experience for millions of travellers, building loyalty by making an emotional connection between their purchases and the Beijing Olympic Games." said Alessandra Piovesana, Regional Managing Director of Nuance-Watson (HK).
The Olympic themed booth has strictly followed the standard requirements in all aspects including merchandising, store design and merchandise presentation as set by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG). According to Nuance-Watson, the HKIA Olympic booth will be the epitome of the Beijing Olympic merchandise offer, focus on presenting the top tier of the best-selling ranges and products to warrant high space productivity. The selection includes T-shirts, caps, precious metal medals, stuffed toys, ceramics and gift items for both adults and kids. In terms of designs, there will be a balanced offer of the more subtle Olympic emblem and the colorful Fuwa images to cater to the widest possible range of tastes of the global customers. Besides, it will also put an additional highlight on the Equestrian range to tap into the opportunities arising from the Equestrian Event in HK.
To differentiate and create a point of uniqueness for this location, Nuance-Watson also strives to capture the magic of Olympic world by offering a selective range of Olympic memorabilia from The Olympic Museum Collection that commemorate the previous Olympic Events in Tokyo, Seoul, Barcelona, Sydney, London, Athens, etc. The Olympic Museum Collection memorabilia, all sourcing directly from International Olympic Committee, will include T-shirts, caps, postcards and pin sets. This museum collection will add an emphasis of the global aura, complementing the popular Beijing Olympic merchandise to create a dynamic offer to differentiate the HKIA Olympic booth and satisfy a full spectrum of global customers at Hong Kong International Airport. All the assortments will be regularly rotated and updated in the run-up to the Beijing Olympic Games to bring constant newness to the frequent travelers.
Flagging the Beijing Olympic logo, the Olympic themed booth has adopted an "open-sell" approach to highlight the dazzling and irresistible choices available. All products are classified and displayed by category making the pick-up of favourites for time-constrained customers an easy and enjoyable process. A jumbo size Fuwa character plush is placed at the centre of the booth, turning it into a popular photo spot and enticing customers' penetration.
Apart from this airside booth, Nuance-Watson (HK) has also worked with OMEGA, the official timekeeper, and introduced a promotional Olympic concept store at HKIA Departure Hall on landside since November 2007. Beijing Olympic 2008 will mark the 23rd time that OMEGA has served as the Official Olympic Timekeeper, therefore the store is built around the theme of "Great Moments in Time", resembling a gallery with timepiece showcases and images of the past Olympic events. A small version of the OMEGA Countdown Watch is also featured within the store as a key attraction. The OMEGA Olympic collections, featuring the five interlocking coloured rings that so famously represent the Olympics, aims to appeal directly to avid watch collectors and discerning shoppers who aspire for high value collector timepieces. Already in the pipeline, Nuance-Watson and OMEGA plan to open up the second exhibition within the airport on airside coming in August, being the last stop rounding up OMEGA's Olympic exhibition world tour.
According to Nuance-Watson, promotions and other activities are being planned in collaboration with its other long-standing vendor partners such as Samsung and Panasonic who are also official Olympic sponsors to heighten the Olympic spirit in its stores at HKIA.
Apart from having a strong retail network at Hong Kong International Airport, Nuance-Watson has also established a proven track record in launching various sports-themed concepts, such as the Ferrari Motor Sports event, Rugby Sevens, OMEGA's 2006 Olympic Winter Games collections that have enjoyed considerable success. Besides, since 1996, its parent company The Nuance Group has developed a close working relationship with the Olympic Organising Committee and was the official licensed retailer for the Olympic Store concepts - both downtown and airport - at Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004 which gives Nuance-Watson the unrivalled experience in retailing Olympic merchandise.
-ends-
About Nuance-Watson (HK) Limited
Nuance-Watson (HK) Limited, a joint venture between the A.S. Watson Group and The Nuance Group, is the leading retail operator at Hong Kong International Airport. It operates 43 stores in 2 Terminals under 18 licences, namely general merchandise, perfumes and cosmetics, audio-visual / electronics, brand boutiques and specialty stores.
In 2007, Nuance-Watson (HK) has extended its travel retail business outside of Hong Kong by opening a 20,000 sq. ft. mega department store at Asia's largest integrated resort complex The Venetian Macao as well as two contiguous stores at Zhuhai Airport in China, namely The Plaza department store and Watsons Your Personal Store.
Nuance-Watson's commitment to retail excellence has given it the prestigious Frontier Awards for "Airport/Land-based Retailer of the Year" in 2006 and "Best Partnership Initiative" in 2007. Nuance-Watson was also the winner of Raven Fox Award "Asia/Pacific Travel Retailer of the Year" in 2002 and 2003. Since operation in 1998, Nuance-Watson (HK) has received over 30 international and local awards in recognition of its excellence in operation, product merchandising and customer service.
| Nuance-Watson (HK) Limited |
| Angelina Lau |
|
| |
