Celebrating 25 years of Estée Lauder's influence in China's duty free market
The pavilion design, inspired by nature, features a petal-shaped structure with light pink gradient layers, symbolizing a blooming flower and showcasing ELC’s commitment to sustainable practices
The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) participated in the 4th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, Hainan, demonstrating the company’s influence within the beauty industry. This event marked the company’s third consecutive appearance and the 25th anniversary of ELC’s involvement in China’s duty free market. The expo highlighted both the growth of Hainan as a top travel and shopping destination and ELC’s significant role in this evolution.
Estée Lauder in China duty free
During the opening ceremony, notable attendees included Mr. Guomeng Chen, Ms. Aixiang Xiong, Mr. Yanguang Wang, along with Mr. Israel Assa, Global President, Travel Retail, The Estée Lauder Companies, and Ms. Karen Housman, who inaugurated the pavilion with a digital launch. This was Assa’s first in-person visit to the expo, where he emphasized the company’s commitment to China and its travel retail landscape. He stated: “The Estée Lauder Companies is greatly appreciative of the growth we have shared with China and its travel retail industry. Hainan has become the centerpiece of the travel retail industry, and we are proud of how we have grown on this island over the past decade and looking forward to continuing to support its development into a world-class tourism destination and global shopping mecca.”
The design of the pavilion was inspired by nature, featuring a petal-shaped structure with light pink gradient layers, symbolizing a blooming flower. The design showcased ELC’s commitment to sustainable practices, including the reuse of materials and integration of recyclable and reusable elements.
This was the first in-person visit to the expo by Israel Assa, Global President, Travel Retail. He emphasized the company’s commitment to China and appreciation of the growth shared with the country and its travel retail industry
Legacy and commitments
Visitors to the pavilion are invited to explore The Estée Lauder Companies' (ELC) legacy and commitments by following a petal-shaped path through the space. This includes stories from its various brands and its heritage. This year, part of the pavilion highlighted ELC’s “Breast Cancer Campaign,” which for over 30 years has aimed to increase awareness, fund research and support those impacted by breast cancer. The initiative aids over 60 organizations worldwide, such as the China Women’s Development Foundation, which provides financial help to women undergoing breast cancer treatment, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which receives an annual research grant from ELC Travel Retail to study breast cancer disparities among Asian-American communities.
ELC’s pavilion also showcased its leadership in product and retail innovation. At the China Innovation Lab in Shanghai, cutting-edge science and technology are employed to deliver top-quality beauty products to the Chinese market. Additionally, the pavilion featured how ELC brands are adopting technology to achieve sustainable packaging and ingredient sourcing, ensuring quality remains uncompromised.
The exhibit introduced visitors to 15 of ELC’s brands, including Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Darphin, Dr.Jart+, Estée Lauder, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, Jo Malone London, KILIAN PARIS, La Mer, Le Labo, Lab Series, M·A·C, Origins and TOM FORD. Notably, the event marked the Hainan debut of Le Labo, coinciding with the opening of new boutiques in Haikou and Sanya, enhancing ELC’s footprint in the region.
