Hotel welcome kit producer Groupe GM expands in Australia, New Zealand

By

Adrien Communier

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Aug 1, 2019

Groupe GM, the French specialist in the hotel welcome kit sector, recently announced it is expanding in Australia and New Zealand. Groupe GM already has an international presence, but is now looking to approach the booming hotel industry market in the Asia-Pacific region. It will operate in partnership with newly created New Zealand company Paris Groupe Ltd, establishing a firm foothold in Oceania to further pursue its international expansion strategy.

Groupe GM announced its Oceania deployment less than a year after it set up offices in Hong Kong. In November 2018, the group heralded its arrival in Hong Kong and neighbouring Macao, having established partnerships with high-profile hotel groups like Mandarin Oriental and the five-star Grand Lapa complex.

Operating in Australia and New Zealand ought to enable Groupe GM to grow its business in destinations that are more and more popular with tourists. According to industry forecasts, tourist visits to Australia will increase by 6.2% in the next three years. Australia recorded 7,100 new hotel rooms in 2018, and plans to create another 33,000, half of them by the end of 2020, opening interesting opportunities for Groupe GM.  Paris Groupe Ltd, the company tasked with developing the group’s Oceania business, is led by Jason Williams, Brian Tuia and Daren Manks, three experts in the hotel, retail and investment sectors.

Groupe GM was founded in 1972 and currently distributes its products in over 70 countries across all continents. It is already well-established in Asia, notably in Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and recently Hong Kong and Macao. Groupe GM has a portfolio of some thirty brands, between its own labels Damana, Bienvenue and More & More, and licensed brands like Clarins, Mugler, Nuxe and Courrèges.