Interior of Zhejiang's first downtown duty-free store at Jiebai Shopping Plaza in Hangzhou. [Photo/Tao Tao for Tide News]

Zhejiang province's first downtown duty-free store opened in Shangcheng district, Hangzhou, on Feb 11.

Located at Hangzhou Jiebai Shopping Plaza, No 179 Yan'an Road, in a central urban area, it allows travelers with outbound plans to purchase duty-free goods in advance, with consumers able to shop up to 60 days before departure. Purchased items are delivered to a designated pickup point in the airport's departure area, where travelers can collect them with valid documents.

The new store is divided into a duty-free zone and a tax-paid zone. The tax-paid section is open to all customers and offers cosmetics and daily necessities for immediate purchase and pickup. The duty-free zone serves travelers departing from Hangzhou International Airport within 60 days. Products in the duty-free section currently include domestically produced alcoholic beverages, with no individual shopping quota set.

Customs authorities have said additional products, including specialty tea, Hangzhou silk, and high-end smart electronic devices, will be gradually introduced to the duty-free zone to expand the product range.