Beijing bidders face tight submission deadline

Anna Fenton

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Retailers—but only international ones registered in China—will have to act quickly if they want to take part in the ground-breaking Beijing process

Retailers interested in the duty-free tender at Beijing Capital International airport (BCIA) have just two weeks to submit their bids, RavenFox.com has learned. Proposals must be handed in by July 20, BCIA sources confirmed, although due to the ground-breaking nature of the tender and the bureaucracy involved a quick decision is unlikely.

The tender definitely includes operation of the full duty-free programme, the source said, adding that the airport is inviting bids only from international operators registered in greater China, which includes Taiwan and Hong Kong. Taiwanese retailer Sunrise Duty Free and Hong Kong registered joint venture Nuance-Watson (HK) are therefore eligible to bid. DFS Group is not eligible as its Hong Kong office is only a branch office.

He revealed that the airport is looking for either a single or multiple tenants, although it would prefer to appoint just one retailer. "If we choose several, it will be because of their individual strong points. But the business will be easier to handle for us with one. Communication will be easier and staff issues simpler."

The move, which is likely to end China Duty Free Group's (CDFG) involvement in the Beijing duty-free business, goes some way towards fulfilling the requirements of China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the source said. "By holding this tender we are taking a big step towards the requirements to end monopolies." CDFG has always defended its monopolistic practices by claiming airport retail was a category exempt from the WTO requirements.