regent travel retail group

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1988 marked the establishment of REGENT TRAVEL CORPORATION based on the experience and expertise of its founder, Connie C. Mamaril, propelling its place to the premier status of being one of the leaders in the Philippine travel industry, notably in Marine Travel.

Mindful of the intricacies of ships crew travel, experienced, the dedicated and competent team ensures that all travel requirements are efficiently met at the most competitive rates. likewise, its membership to the philippine marine  travel agents association (pmtaa) gives regent travel the advantage of keeping abreast with matters that affect the marine travel industry and allows for active participation to support the philippine maritime industry in protecting its interest, for the benefit of filipino seafarers., today, the company prides itself on its connectivity to a global network, with an expanding market that encompasses inbound and outbound corporate business and leisure travel. its certification as an iso 9001:2008 company is a proof of the company’s adherence to international quality standards in service delivery., furthermore, its 24/7 service by travel specialists assures its valued marine and corporate accounts that travel booking needs are taken care of in a timely manner., the hub of regent travel’s operation is located in its own four-story building at 1415 general luna street, paco, manila. the modern facility – humming with business activity – is a testament to the corporation’s spectacular growth which its officials aim to pursue and sustain in the coming years..

Armi Ilicito

Finance manager.

Chris Mamaril

Chief finance officer.

Marine Manager

Jordan Mamaril

Chief operating officer.

Celina Matute

Sales supervisor.

Maylene Lopez

Marketing supervisor.

Roseanne Kaye Dela Peña

Hr / personnel manager.

Maria Sanchez

Tours manager, testimonials.

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• Location 1: Php 100,000
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Retail in Asia

Regent opens multiple stores in The Philippines

The Regent Travel Retail Group is planning to open several more new travel retail stores to add to those introduced recently within The Philippines, according to owner Jose Maria (‘Chim’) Esteban.

The company is a multi-brand multi category operator for Duty Free and Duty Paid travel retail locations in the Philippines, acting as a concessionaire for Perfume & Cosmetics and Fashion & Accessories for Duty Free Philippines (DFP) under the Landmark trading name.

It also operates its own brands under direct lease arrangements in some locations, while working with DFP’s downtown and airport stores at the downtown Manila Fiesta Shopping Center; Ninoy Aquino International Airport; Centennial Airport; Terminal 3 International Airport; Mactan Cebu Airport; and the downtown duty free Cebu Waterfront Hotel.

In the last two months it has opened Jo Malone, M.A.C and Kiehl’s at Terminal 3 International Airport in Manila, followed by Pandora on April 16 and WHSmith this month (May).

It also opened a multi-brand store in Cebu Mactan International Airport on the airside, offering brands from L’Oréal, The Body Shop, M.A.C, Luxottica, Brics and Coccinelle. Pandora was also due to open this month followed by Victoria’s Secret on July 15, 2016.

(Source: Travel Retail Business )

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Celina Esteban on adapting the brand mix to

A new customer profile.

L'Oréal-owned Japanese skincare house Shu Uemura (pictured here at Fiestamall) is one of many international cosmetics brands to identify growing opportunities in Philippines travel retail.

Celina Marie M. Esteban leads Marketing & New Concept Development for Regent Travel Retail Group, charged with developing a booming business in cosmetics, fragrances and fashion. She spoke with Martin Moodie about a changing product portfolio, one designed to cater for an evolving consumer demographic.

“Today we work with all the major beauty groups,” says Celina Esteban, talking to The Moodie Davitt Report over breakfast at the Discovery Primea hotel in Makati, metro Manila’s financial hub.

Regent Travel Retail Group, of which she is Managing Director, serves both Duty Free Philippines and (tax paid) travel retailer Regent Group. The company has adapted proactively to a marked shift in the travelling consumer demographic and the future is exciting, Ms Esteban says.

Regent Travel Retail Group takes a holistic view of the beauty category across the duty free and travel retail channels, placing brands where they are best suited in terms of customer profile and suitable space. “We’ve been able to grow our brand portfolio, even opening stand-alone shops for brands with a more specialised retail format like MAC or Kiehl’s by constantly looking for new space opportunities,” Ms Esteban explains.

While business has thrived for many years in the Philippines, Regent Travel Retail is a relatively new player, charged with expanding the travel-related business into new locations & channels, including domestic airports.

“I have the advantage of being able to look at the travel retail business as a whole and seeing which locations have the right consumer mix for what brands – and then pairing them up,” says Ms Esteban. “For merchandising, we have focused over the last couple of years on ensuring that we have a great brand selection, particularly in cosmetics, for the Chinese customer.

“In both our duty free and our travel retail business, we’re making big inroads with designer brands, which we have been working hard to get into the country. Our longtime relationship with the big groups has allowed us to unlock these new entries over the last year and so the brand mix has evolved quickly. And I think there’s growing customer recognition of the quality new environments that we’re coming up with – LUXE and Cebu, in particular.”

Having returned, like her brother Joey, to the Philippines after years abroad (in her case in the USA, where she held several senior positions for L’Oréal-owned GiorgioArmani beauty and fragrances in New York from July 2008 to October 2016), Celina Esteban is excited about the rapid retail transformation in her home country.

“Our fragrance mix is extremely high for the region – we’re at 45 to 50 percent,” says Celina Esteban.

“The last few years have driven a new set of brands into this market that have really taken over – like Armani and YSL in cosmetics,” she reflects. “So, I knew, especially coming from the outside, that we needed to ensure our assortment was the right one versus what we’ve had for a very long time. Of course, core brands are still super important but it’s about making the strategic decisions to bring in new brands in certain places – and to delist others.”

It’s not just about ultra-luxury, Ms Esteban says, citing the importance of the value sector, particularly Korean cosmetics and emerging Japanese brands. To fulfil strong demand for such products and price points, Regent Travel Retail is building a small format concept called ‘Beauty to Go’ for locations which attract a younger or value oriented customer. Today, there are two standalone stores in Ninoy Aquino Internatinal Airport Terminal 3 and a shop-in-shop concept at Fiesta Mall.

Even at the splendid new Mactan-Cebu International Airport T2 and LUXE downtown stores, Regent Travel Retail has introduced up and coming brands. This is targeted principally at Chinese consumers seeking an emergent brand assortment rather than more familiar names.

“In Cebu we now focus on bigger presentations of our core brands. Only Gucci, Hermès and Bvlgari [among fragrances] have very large gondolas, everyone else has a more petite format. While fragrance is still our strength, it’s about resizing it depending on the location.”

“We’re evolving beyond fragrance into makeup and skincare,” says Ms Esteban of the category mix. “It’s a combination of global brands, Korean brands, American brands and some of our bigger fragrance names because we know that there’s a need for a non-traditional beauty concept.”

Celina Esteban is not only focused on beauty.Together with her brother Joey, she’s also bringing in emerging fashion brands, intent on creating a similar multi-brand accessory concept. Though skincare remains the biggest sector within cosmetics, makeup is booming. “Industry-wide, makeup is what’s really innovating and driving all the repeat purchases,” she reflects. “Our makeup business has been less than 20 percent of our total P&C, partly because our fragrance mix is just extremely high for the region – we’re at 45 to 50 percent – but it’s growing strongly.”

That traditional emphasis on fragrance is very much driven by the Filipino customer. But the category’s prime in-store positioning also ensures that it does surprisingly well with other demographics too. Mactan-Cebu International is a case in point, where the fragrances offer is surprisingly extensive given the Korean/Chinese/Japanese-dominated passenger mix.

“We’re constantly making refinements,” says Ms Esteban. “For example, in the new Cebu duty free store where we used to have walls and walls of fragrance, now we focus on bigger presentations of our core brands. Only Gucci, Hermès and Bvlgari [among fragrances] have very large gondolas, everyone else has a more petite format. While fragrance is still our strength, it’s about resizing it depending on the location.”

With the booming makeup category, it’s also not just a question of the big international and designer brands but, also Korean labels and some smaller American brands. The Estée Lauder Companies’ MAC plays a starring role across the company’s retail footprint, appealing to a diverse combination of Filipinos, Koreans and Chinese. New cosmetics this year include LVMH-owned brands Benefit and Make Up For Ever, supporting a strong existing portfolio which includes Dior, Armani, YSL, and Tom Ford.

“The brands have been very supportive. There is a desire among those that are not there to enter these doors, and that includes designer brands and makeup brands. It’s just a matter of figuring out the puzzle [of space allocation] at this point.”

Beauty brand emporium: Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 is the national gateway’s main door for Chinese traffic.

“the moment is now”.

The company’s biggest remaining project for 2019 is the renovation of its offer at Ninoy Aquino International Airport T1, targeted for the second half. While Cebu generates bigger overall sales, T1 is a critical location for the company as that is where most of the burgeoning Chinese traffic travels through.

“We hit well over a million Chinese arrivals last year and that is something we need to communicate to the trade more,” says Ms Esteban. “All of these merchandising improvements, store openings and expansions are a result of the shift which only started four years ago. For the first couple of years it was a wait-and-see approach. But we know the moment is now… it’s a critical time which we have to capture.”

The government and the tourism department are also highly supportive, says Ms Esteban, helping to drive awareness of the country’s attractions through high-profile new communications campaigns.

"Travel retail in the Philippines, we believe, is at a turning point"

It’s not just about the Chinese traveller, though. The fast-changing Filipino segment is also rich in growth potential, she notes. “Income is growing and we have a rising millennial traveller base. Then there is the rise of all the budget airlines. Filipinos are travelling frequently in Southeast Asia and to Japan and Korea, whereas when I was growing up our people mainly went to America – you made a big month out of it and that was your once-every-three-year vacation.

“Now, because it’s so much easier to travel in the region, we have younger Filipinos going outside of the country much more frequently. And so, they're exposed to many brands when they’re travelling. Filipinos are also very, very highly engaged on digital and social media – we’re the biggest per-capital users of Facebook.

Part of the company’s extensive and diverse fashion line-up at Fiestamall.

“Travel retail in the Philippines, we believe, is at a turning point,” adds Ms Esteban. “It needs to become top of mind to this emerging class of Filipinos with higher consumption. They have the same traits as millennials all over the world – starting to live on their own, wanting to spend for themselves. And while the Chinese are definitely going to drive the majority of our sales, we think there’s also a big opportunity to target younger Filipinos. We also have a big Korean base; Cebu is 40 percent Korean if you look at the pax count.”

Merchandising and communications strategies are being driven by this multiple consumer base, and Celina Esteban’s New York marketing background is proving invaluable. “We have a lot of opportunity in marketing… which is great,” she says. We can’t just rely on openings or launches. But everyone is battling on price, which is a bit worrying. We can get into a spiral of discounting and promotions, which has been the difference between travel retail and the local market in the past.

“That’s especially so with cosmetics. And so, from a marketing standpoint it’s about making sure that we focus on engaging events and department-wide initiatives. So, we did our first specific gift-with-purchase promotions for Chinese New Year across not just one store but in Manila T3 and in Cebu T2.”

The Chinese New Year gift-with-purchase featured a locally sourced handmade woven bag based on the traditional bayong – a local carryall bag made from dried leaves. Regent found a group that uses local weavers who hand weave in their homes and work with a reusable hard plastic instead of leaves.

“They’re very proud that their items are being featured where tourists visit. We know that anything we do in the Philippines has to have a Filipino twist,” says Ms Esteban. “The brands do a good job giving cosmetics pouches and samples and so on. But there are certain things which will differentiate shopping in the Philippines from elsewhere. So, there’s a complementariness between international brands with some kind of local touch.”

[→ Continued on next page ]

A Moodie Davitt Report publication | Philippines Travel Retail 2019

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Filipino flair and Chinese spice: Viewing travel retail through a different prism

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People often ask me where I see the next big opportunity in travel retail. Which market? Which consumers? Which categories?

Three days in the Philippines has helped shape my answers. Except I wouldn’t say ‘next’ opportunity. It’s here. It’s now. It’s happening.

This week I’ve spent time at Mactan-Cebu International Airport’s splendid Terminal 2; at Duty Free Philippines elegant new downtown LUXE store in Manila; and at Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Fiesta Mall, also in the capital city.

The two airport visits and my tour of LUXE, in particular. opened my eyes to what a vibrant and fast-changing travel retail market this country has. Chinese tourism (and business investment) in the Philippines is booming and on the back of it so is travel-related shopping.

No-one knows that market – or understands the sea change that’s been happening – better than Jose Maria ‘Chim’ N. Esteban III,Chairman of Landmark Management Services and Landmark Management P&C  and founder of Regent Travel Retail Group, with whom I’ve had the great pleasure of spending much of my time here, along with son Joey and daughter Celina.

Chim is the pioneer of duty free and travel retail in this country, a man held in huge respect not just here but throughout our industry. Back in 2012, I presented him with an Outstanding and Pioneering Contribution to the Travel Retail Industry award. The occasion was the 25 th anniversary celebrations of Duty Free Philippines (DFP), held in Manila. It is worth repeating the words I uttered on stage that night, taken from a book I wrote called ‘Duty Free Philippines 25 years – Aquino to Aquino’, which told the tale of the retailer’s first quarter century.

“Chim was the man who dared to dream. Pioneer, pragmatist and patriot, founder, futurist and far-sighted visionary, a man who has had a profound influence over duty free retailing in the Philippines.

“In early 1987 he was appointed to head a task force charged with mapping out DFP’s initial operations with just US$91,000 in capital at his disposal. He became the retailer’s first General Manager and drove its remarkable progress from a difficult start-up with sales of less than US$10 million in its first year to a US$219 million turnover by the time he left in 1992.

“After that he remained close to the organisation as a supplier, and in 1998 became a sub-concessionaire to DFP through his company Fashion Walk – later adding perfumes & cosmetics to the retail portfolio. He has done as much as anyone to raise the game for Duty Free Philippines.”

Raising the game is precisely what Chim continues to do. Through Landmark Management Services and sister company Landmark Management PandC he acts as a partner and sub-concessionaire to state-owned Duty Free Philippines across fashion and beauty. Through Regent Travel Retail Group, in which Joey and Celina play lead roles as President and Managing Director, he has also created a fast-growing, multi-category duty paid, convenience store and F&B business that is thriving as tourism grows.

In coming weeks I will publish the biggest report yet on travel retail in the Philippines. In this Blog I’m going to focus on what I consider to be two step-changing developments for the sector – Mactan-Cebu International Airport T2 and LUXE.

Both represent a new, different and compelling face of travel retail here. First, Cebu,  a terminal opened to much fanfare last June, and to which I gladly add my own accolades to all those that have already been heaped on it. My pictures tell the story better than my words can. The fusion of curved wooden structures, metal and an abundance of natural light makes it one of the most charming airports I have ever used. Charming? How often do you hear that adjective applied to an airport? Come visit (Cebu is lovely, so it won’t be a hardship) and you’ll see what I mean.

It’s also a terminal that’s been developed with commercial services – and the consumer who uses them – front of mind. The retail, a combination of duty free (overseen by Duty Free Philippines working with its sub-concessionaires) and duty paid (Regent Travel Retail) is high class; the food and beverage (a joint venture between Regent and SSP) is attractive, diverse, well-designed and service-led.

More of all that in a moment. Let me first share one of the key dynamics of this terminal – its passenger mix. As Ravishankar Saravu, Chief Commercial Adviser for GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation, which has driven the development, told me, four years ago there were almost no Chinese passengers at Cebu, and no direct flight connections. Today, the Chinese represent around 15% of the 3.8 million (in 2018) international passengers (Koreans lead the way with 30% and the Japanese also represent 15% – a heady passenger profile from a retailer’s perspective) and a much higher proportion of spend (the highest ATV by far and almost on par in total sales with the Koreans).

The retail mix reflects the passenger profile. The big beauty names are mostly out in force and are represented with considerable class, across cosmetics (in particular) and fragrance. There’s an excellent and often premium liquor offer and an eclectic confectionery and foods one. Fashion and accessories, through Regent Travel Retail, is poised for a big step up with a series of openings in coming months.

Regent Travel Retail Group President Jose Alfonso ‘Joey’ Esteban hopes that international brands will start to view travel retail in the Philippines through “a different prism”.

It’s no longer just about the returning Filipino business (important as that sector remains), he points out. The Chinese are coming in ever greater numbers and the offer is being adapted accordingly. Tourist demand is growing and the Philippines is awaiting them with open arms.

“All the fundamentals are in place for growth,” Joey says. “We’ve got a 100 million-plus population, 7,000 islands, 30-plus airports, many of which are very small and provincial – it’s not your typical country.”

And here’s the thing. Chinese tourists – and by definition Chinese shoppers – are increasingly finding their way around those islands. “One of our big strategies is to find the Chinese consumer wherever they are in this country,” says Regent Travel Retail Group Managing Director Celina Marie M. Esteban. “It’s a very focused tourist shopping destination.”

More of that in my main report, coming soon. But first a word about Cebu’s F&B offer, very capably run by Neil Streeter, General Manager of SSP Mactan Cebu. Neil’s a veteran of the F&B business and he’s already got this fledgling business impressively fine-tuned. SSP and Regent are running nine outlets here, ranging from Burger King (believe it or not the most successful Burger King door in the country) to a nicely eclectic, multi-country Asian Kitchen concept and a great, highly instagrammable Ramen offer.

We dined at Asian Kitchen on Monday and Neil’s eyes were on the service as much as they were on the food. He runs a tight ship but one underpinned by respect for all the local staff he has employed here. Again, look out for my interview with him, coming soon, a real insight into how to run a quality F&B operation and a refreshing affirmation that regional airports can deliver a high-quality dinner offer.

So to LUXE, summed up in one word and three letters. Wow. And the project isn’t finished yet. Don’t expect a grand scale T Galleria by DFS or a King Power Rangnam Complex. This is a more understated concept but it’s been classily and subtly executed over its two storeys. It is a game changer for travel retail here.

Fashion, accessories, luxury, confectionery, wines & spirits, destination merchandise on the ground floor, beauty (very well sign-posted from below) one level up. Simple enough. Top brands, stylish design, elegant merchandising. So far, so good. But what’s really exciting again is the Chinese spend. Not just regular tourists to the city but also the huge local Chinese worker community here (Manila is a hub of Chinese investment), who travel frequently back home.

While I sat chatting with Chim Esteban and Duty Free Philippines Chief Operating Officer Vicente Pelagio ‘Vico’ A. Angala in the main reception area, two young, stylish Chinese women entered the store, one carrying an MCM handbag. Noting how they headed straight up the escalator to the beauty department, I followed them just to see what had drawn their interest. Their first stop was the Lancôme beauty counter (pictured). And, yes, they bought. And I doubt they only made one purchase. This is a premium purchase offer, the likes of which has not been seen in this country.

It’s early days for LUXE and Duty Free Philippines and its retail partners are still working on their marketing programme to ensure maximum Chinese awareness of the store. More brands are yet to be added in the luxury area downstairs before the grand opening later this year. But the signs are deeply promising. So much so that Vico confirmed to me that DFP is contemplating further similar openings elsewhere in the Philippines in coming years.

Thanks to its emphasis on arrivals and post-arrivals shopping, travel retail here has always had a unique flavour. To that flavour, a whole lot of Chinese spice has just been added.

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Chinese FITs surge at DFP Luxe Duty Free in Manila

By Luke Barras-hill | Monday, 15 July 2019 11:44

Sales at DFP Luxe Duty Free have been tracking strongly since its soft opening in November.

The explosion in Chinese free independent travellers (FITs) to the Philippines is having a marked effect on the sales concentration at Duty Free Philippines’ (DFP) Luxe Duty Free store in Manila.

In an exclusive interview with TRBusiness , Jose Maria ‘Chim’ Esteban III, Chairman of Regent Asia Group and Landmark Management Services says sales to Chinese FITs now accounts for 75% of the Luxe Duty Free business [click below video] .

“The Philippines is essentially at stage one of its Chinese business,” he observes. “Group tours are beginning with the infrastructure already being developed on the ground by travel operators and we’re already in pilot operations with a few major travel groups.”

FASHION AREAS DUE TO COMPLETE

Esteban says the burgeoning cruise ship industry in the Philippines is accelerating via regular stopover routes from China to Manila and Boracay, with Regent Asia Group looking to open a new travel retail door in Boracay Island in the coming 20 months to cater to rampant demand.

“That is the natural process of development for Philippine tourism – it’s just a matter of getting the infrastructure in place [such as] hotels, airports etc.,” says Esteban.

“In a couple of years, we will probably at least double our numbers for Chinese tourism,” continues Esteban, who notes the number of Chinese travellers to the country has grown from next to nothing to around 1.7m in the past five years.

“There is a great relationship [between China and the Philippines] and we think the Philippines is a great destination for tier two or tier three countries.”

Regent Asia, which operates under the Regent Travel Retail Group umbrella, operates a range of brand boutiques as the merchandise supply and management concessionaire for perfumes & cosmetics and luxury and fashion goods at Luxe Duty Free. These two categories account for the majority of the space at Luxe.

As reported, the luxury shopping destination at the SM Mall of Asia entertainment and leisure complex in Pasay City, Manila launched in November following a soft-opening the month prior.

Furla opened a 38.7sq m boutique in April. The fashion retail spaces at Luxe Duty Free are expected to complete by the end of the year.

It boasts 3,000sq m of retail space over two floors, including 2,000sq m on the ground level focusing on fashion and luxury goods ( Bally, Longchamp, Coach, Michael Kors, Samsonite, Swarovski, Tumi, Paul & Shark, Furla and others);  liquor, tobacco and confectionery; and a 1,000sq m mezzanine featuring a large assortment of international perfume and cosmetic brands (Bobbi Brown, Bulgari, Calvin Klein, Clarins, Clinique, Dior, Estée Lauder, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Jo Malone, La Prairie, La Mer, Shiseido, MAC and others) .

The layout is targeted specifically to meet growing demand from aforementioned free independent travellers (FITs), group tours, cruise passengers, in addition to those in the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) industry.

Luxe is regarded by DFP as the dawn of a new era in the Philippines duty free sector, which has up until recently relied largely on domestic overseas and outbound consumers to generate revenue.

The fashion areas at Luxe Duty Free remain in development and expect to complete by the end of the year, confirms Esteban.

Jose Maria ‘Chim’ Esteban III, Chairman and CEO, Regent Travel Retail Group.

RECRUITMENT CHALLENGE

At the time of the soft opening, Regent Asia had forecast $30m in P&C and fashion goods sales at Luxe in the first year of operation.

Asked whether that target remains on track in the context of a seemingly weakening peso, Esteban responds: “I think we’re on track; the beauty piece is tracking above our expectation, fashion is a little bit slower because of the lead times with construction and negotiations on the mix, but we’re happy with the movement on it as long as we have continuing PRC movement.

“The peso has stabilised somewhat and our bigger problem is hiring enough people to work in our stores. We see next year as being really significant for Luxe and our overall business is growing. We’re up 25% in beauty on last year.”

For the latest on Duty Free Philippines Corporation, including its operations at Ninoy Aquino Terminal’s 1, 2 and 3 and Fiesta downtown mall,   click here .

To read earlier reports on DFP and Regent Asia Group, see the February 2018 issue of TRBusiness.

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