Hyundai Duty Free Opens New Incheon Airport DF2 Zone, Targets 1 Trillion Won in Annual Sales

Hyundai Duty Free has begun operations in Incheon International Airport’s DF2 zone, expanding its footprint to three of the airport’s six duty-free areas: DF2, DF5 and DF7. The company said it is now the airport’s largest duty-free operator and the only one there offering every major category, from luxury and fashion to cosmetics and liquor.
 
The company said Tuesday it started full-scale business in DF2 across the airport’s Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The DF2 zone covers 4,571 square meters (about 1,382 pyeong). A total of 287 brands have moved in, including cosmetics and fragrance labels such as Chanel Beauty, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Estée Lauder, and liquor, tobacco and food brands including Ballantine’s, Johnnie Walker, Hennessy and CheongKwanJang.
 
The operating term runs through June 30, 2033, and can be extended by three years to as late as April 2036, for up to 10 years in total. Stores are open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., with some cosmetics, liquor and tobacco shops operating 24 hours.
 
Hyundai Duty Free said its existing DF5 and DF7 zones already host the airport’s widest selection of luxury brands, including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Loewe and Burberry. With DF2 added, the company said it is positioned to capture a broader range of high-end shopping demand.
 
Targeting overseas travelers, the company has also set up a “K-cosmetics zone” near Gate 248 on the third floor of Terminal 2’s duty-free area. It features about 40 Korean beauty brands, including Medicube, Torriden, Wellage and Abib, and offers experiences such as AI-based skin analysis and personal color consultations.
 
Hyundai Duty Free said it is considering joint marketing with its parent company, Hyundai Department Store. Plans include a pop-up at The Hyundai Seoul to guide customers on duty-free shopping, and a review of ways to bring Hyundai Department Store fashion, food and intellectual property content into the airport duty-free shops.
 
The company said it posted its first full-year profit last year, seven years after launch, helped by tighter management and a recovery in passenger demand. It said the airport expansion is expected to support continued quarterly profitability and could lift annual sales at Incheon alone to more than 1 trillion won.
 
Chief Executive Park Jang-seo said, “With the operation of the DF2 zone, we have become the largest operator at Incheon International Airport, and we expect to generate more than 1 trillion won in annual sales from the airport alone.”
 
Park added that the company will keep a profitability-first approach at both its airport and downtown stores, while sharpening merchandising and marketing to build a stable growth structure and “lead duty-free shopping trends” as a top player in the domestic market.