December saw global duty-free sales surge by 130%, with Asia Pacific's 151% growth leading the rebound. Excluding Mainland China, this figure jumps to 198%. Hong Kong, Taiwan, and North East Asia were key contributors to the recovery. Japan ranked first among destination markets with a recovery rate of 231 percent, followed by South Korea at 106 percent. Europe also saw a notable recovery at 121 percent despite regional challenges. The worldwide sales in-store like-for-like recovery of Mainland Chinese shoppers reached 82 percent.