Seoul: Shinsegae Duty Free announced that it has entered into a preliminary agreement with Chinese online travel platform Fliggy to enhance travel-shopping advantages for tourists planning visits to South Korea. The collaboration aims to leverage the strengths of both entities to offer enriched shopping experiences tailored for modern travelers.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed with Fliggy, a platform owned by Alibaba Group known for its significant base of young, mobile-centric travelers. The agreement also aims to extend cooperation with other Alibaba-affiliated services. This strategic partnership is expected to integrate membership programs and co-branded initiatives to cater to the needs of experience-focused travelers.

Kim Hyun-chul, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Shinsegae Duty Free, highlighted the potential this partnership holds in delivering a unique global duty-free shopping experience. The collaboration is anticipated to tap into Fliggy's extensive user base of 500 million annual users, facilitating Shinsegae's efforts to expand its global customer reach, especially as more Chinese tourists explore South Korea, driven by the global popularity of K-culture.

Furthermore, Fliggy's 88VIP program, which has about 56 million members known for their purchasing power and brand loyalty, represents a lucrative market segment for retail partners. This membership program is expected to play a crucial role in enhancing the collaborative efforts between Shinsegae and Fliggy.

Shinsegae Duty Free operates under the umbrella of South Korea's retail giant, Shinsegae Group, which also manages the Shinsegae Department Store and Emart discount stores, marking a significant step in the company's strategy to boost its presence in the travel retail sector.