SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA, 2016-Mar-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — DFS Group, the world’s leading luxury travel retailer, opened its doors today at the first T Galleria by DFS store in Cambodia. Located in Siem Reap, a popular resort town and provincial capital in close proximity to the ancient temple of Angkor Wat, T Galleria by DFS, Angkor is the largest duty free luxury department store in Cambodia, offering travelers an integrated retail, hospitality and leisure experience. The store will open in phases until June, bringing a total of 170 brands to the 86,000 square foot space including leading international fashion and accessories, watches and jewelry, wines and spirits, and beauty and fragrances brands as well as a selection of locally handcrafted artisan products.
“Here at DFS Group, we’re continually inspired by our customers’ appetite for discovery and adventure. We are honored to be able to welcome them to Siem Reap, a destination renowned for its rich culture and history, and to offer more opportunities for them to enjoy their stay,” said Philippe Schaus, DFS Group’s Chairman and CEO. “T Galleria by DFS, Angkor is an oasis of luxury in the heart of the city, allowing visitors to indulge their taste for the finest international brands as well as experience the best that Cambodia has to offer.”
Set within a verdant park and adjacent to the Angkor National Museum, home to some of the region’s most acclaimed historical artifacts, T Galleria by DFS, Angkor is a celebration of local culture and heritage within an elegant, contemporary setting. DFS worked closely with Cambodian artisans to incorporate traditional Khmer motifs and carvings throughout the store. Stone columns feature panels carved in styles reflecting the nearby temples and palaces of Angkor Wat, intricately patterned wall screens and floor tiles evoke local architecture, and a nearly 60-foot art installation, suspended in space above the store’s vaulted atrium, is inspired by the rich, warm hues of Buddhist monks’ robes. From day one, over 200 local Siem Reap sales associates will welcome customers with the hospitality that Cambodia is known for.
The opening of T Galleria by DFS, Angkor also marks the exclusive launch of several first-in-Cambodia brands, including watches and jewelry brands Bulgari, Carl F. Bucherer and Tiffany & Co. and international fashion brands Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Fendi, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Saint Laurent and Zegna. In the world of beauty, customers can also discover 12 beauty and fragrances brands such as Bobbi Brown, Clé de Peau Beauté, MAC and Sulwhasoo exclusively in Cambodia at T Galleria by DFS, Angkor.
In addition, shoppers will find a stunning array of products sourced from Cambodia’s top artisans including Angkor Artwork, whose master craftsmen Eric and Thierry Stocker produce lacquer and straw marquetry using traditional techniques, Golden Silk, one of the last fully integrated silk producers in the world to use the rare yellow silkworm indigenous to Cambodia, and Samatoa, an eco-friendly accessories brand that has revived the forgotten technique of lotus fiber weaving.
T Galleria by DFS, Angkor has also teamed up with Artisans d’Angkor, a socially-conscious business aimed at revitalizing Cambodia’s traditional craftsmanship while pioneering a sustainable working environment, to develop an exclusive collection of luxurious handwoven silks and fine crafts. The collection will showcase products that were designed by and will benefit local artisans.
Adding to T Galleria by DFS, Angkor’s appeal as an oasis of calm and tranquility in Siem Reap, the store also offers travelers a respite at its onsite restaurant, Crystal Jade, which will open in June. The first Crystal Jade outlet in Cambodia, the restaurant will serve traditional Chinese cuisine and dim sum delights in a casual yet sophisticated setting, overlooking the gardens and reflecting pools outside.
Siem Reap serves as the gateway to the fabled ruins of Angkor Wat, one of the world’s most important heritage sites. The largest religious monument in the world, the temple was built in the first half of the 12th century and has since become a symbol of Cambodia and its prime tourist attraction. Cambodia has enjoyed a boom in tourism in the last few years, with Siem Reap accounting for almost 70% of the 6 million international travelers estimated to visit Cambodia in 2016.
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