DFS begins $45m renovation of DFS Galleria Waikiki

Tina Milton

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DFS has started the $45m upgrade of its DFS Galleria Waikiki, which focuses on expanding core luxury and popular brands at the store

DFS Group has begun a $45m renovation of its 180,000sq ft (16,728sq m) store DFS Galleria Waikiki, the largest travel-retail outlet in Hawaii, located at Kalakaua and Royal Hawaiian avenues in Waikiki. The renovation includes the new Fine Watches and Jewelry World on the third floor, which opened in late December.
 
DFS has started the reconstruction of its Kalakaua Avenue entry, which will become the
Waikiki Luxury Walk.  Existing Hawaii-themed shops and the walk-through aquarium will be replaced by European and American designer boutiques.  Brands with shops in the Waikiki Luxury Walk will include Christian Dior, Loewe,  Pucci, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Emporio Armani,  Hugo Boss, Coach and Chloe. The store will remain open during the phased construction, which will be completed in early 2008.  
 
DFS Group chairman and CEO Ed Brennan said: “A major strategic initiative of DFS is to upgrade our offerings to focus on expanding core luxury brands and add new brands that are popular with our customers.  We believe our direction fits well with Hawaii’s Strategic Tourism Plan, which calls for attracting more high-spending visitors.  We are very excited about the new direction we’re giving the DFS Galleria Waikiki and the opportunity it provides us to add ours to the list of big renovation projects that are injecting new energy and excitement to the Waikiki destination.” 

Additional improvements include reconstruction of all of the remaining first floor
spaces and the entire second floor of the main DFS Galleria store.  A greatly expanded and more elegant Beauty World will be a highlight of the new second floor presentation.  Some beauty brands including Lancôme, Estée Lauder, Chanel, and Dior will be expanded and new brands will be added including Kiehl’s, RMK and Shu Uemura.