Beijing launched the construction work of the Beijing Airport International Duty-Free Mall on Jan. 12, located 600 meters south of the Beijing Capital International Airport. The project, with an investment of 12 billion yuan (US$1.86 billion), is expected to complete in 2020. The mall will be connected to Terminal 3 of the airport, the hub of the Inter-City Rail Link, and T2 light rail station.
Duty-free shopping is one of the most important industries around the airports in the world. Data shows that the revenue of the duty-free industry in China in 2016 reached 26.9 billion yuan. The Beijing Capital International Airport is the second largest airport in the world. The airport's passenger throughput in 2017 surpassed 96 million, including 26 million international visitors.
“Shunyi District is one of the key constructions of the capital, and an important gateway to the international exchange. In the new Beijing Urban Plan, Shunyi District is positioned as a core area of international aviation center with city and air harbor. The duty-free mall will enjoy a huge potential for development here,” said a person in charge at the Capital Airports Holding Company.
The Beijing Airport International Duty-Free Mall will be jointly built by the China International Travel Service Co. Limited, the Capital Airports Holding Company and the Shunyi District government. The mall will cover an area of 444 mu (296,000 square meters) and the total floor area of the mall will be 420,000 square meters, including industries of duty-free, leisure, cultural experience, hotels and office space. The mall is expected to see an annual sale of 20 billion yuan, and bring 50 billion yuan to 100 billion yuan to the surrounding industries and consumption, making it the biggest airport commercial complex in the world. According to the initial plan, there will be 11,000 parking spaces.
After completion, the mall will become a demonstration project of realizing the strategic positioning of the capital as the international exchange center. It will be a landmark project of promoting the open policy of Beijing’s service sector, making full use of the 144-hour transit visa-exemption measure in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and taking advantage of the passenger flow in the airport. It will also be a pilot project of promoting the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and meeting the diverse and multi-tiered consumption needs of the people, according to an official from Shunyi District.