New company makes waves in Vietnamese duty-free

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Exclusive: By Martin Moodie

Vietnamese retailer Imex Pan-Pacific is handing over overall management and supply of duty-free products to a new company, Asia Wave International, effective 9 October. This supply business is currently handled by Weitnauer.

The business includes a number of ground shops, as well as the full supply for Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines, currently supplied by Inflight Sales Group.

The new company has been set up by Patrick Walsh, the former head of World Duty Free Inflight's (WDFI) Asian operations (and more recently vice-president, North America Travel Retail for Intercosmetics) along with Johnathan Nguyen and Jake Pang, president and general manager respectively of Imex Pan-Pacific. The outlets are: departures and arrivals stores at Hanoi Noi Bai and Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat airports; downtown stores in Hanoi and Saigon; plus inflight sales on Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines.

Pang was Walsh's second in charge at WDFI over a five-year period.They introduced inflight duty-free to Vietnam Airlines in 1995.

Asia Wave will also handle full supply and marketing to Ansett Australia via First Step International, the airline's new concessionaire. Inflight Sales Group recently cancelled its agreement with Ansett.

Walsh told TRW: "This comes at an exciting time with so much happening in Vietnam.  October will bring the opening of Hanoi airport's new terminal one capable of handling 4m passengers a year and renovations are already in progress at Ho Chi Minh airport."

Passenger arrivals for Vietnam are expected to hit a record high of 1.5m this year. The government estimates 300,000 tourists from Japan will visit this year as both All Nippon Airways and JAL increase the number and frequency of flights to the country.  And the recent air agreement between the US and Vietnam gives each country the right to operate 21 flights per week. 

"The potential is tremendous with passenger arrivals estimated to reach 3m in 2002 and 5m by 2005," said Walsh.