Travel Retail’s Positive Disruptors and Innovators


“Opportunity in adversity:” Brisbane Airport creates online Marketplace

In an innovative reaction to the COVID-19 crisis, Brisbane Airport’s BNE Marketplace offers home delivery in Australia and allows airport retailers the chance to sell products while physical store sales are limited.

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“With airport stores solely reliant on passenger foot traffic, the Brisbane Airport team was motivated to find unique ways to support its retail business partners holding millions of dollars of stock.”

Those words describe the thinking behind Brisbane Airport Corporation’s (BAC) creation of BNE Marketplace, an online airport retail store that gives consumers access to discounted products. It was launched on 16 April.

The move, which BAC says was prompted by a -96% fall in traffic since 29 March, allowed the airport company to find “opportunity in adversity”.

It operates initially as an order online and delivery model with local company Shippit providing logistics support to Australian residences only.

BAC Executive General Manager Consumer Martin Ryan said: “If necessity is the mother of invention, COVID-19 is its father. The BAC team went from concept to full ecommerce site in just 16 days. At launch the site will feature nearly 200 highly sought-after tech items as well as watches and beauty products, with other products being added each week.”

BNE Marketplace launch deals included:

  • Apple iPhone 11 Pro 512GB for A$2,135.00 (saving A$214 off domestic market prices)
  • Sennheiser HD 4.30 headphones for A$69 (saving A$109)
  • Apple 16" MacBook Pro for A$3,448 (saving A$351)
  • Samsung s20 Ultra 5G for A$1,815 (saving A$184)

The BNE Marketplace offer will be stretched to new categories and products, offering retailers the chance to sell built-up stocks

Liquor, perfume, chocolates and other products are being added, with a ‘click and collect’ service being considered, says BAC.

Lotte Duty Free, BNE’s biggest retail partner, is the first retailer to offer products online via the new Marketplace, with a plan for more retailers to come online if the project proves successful.

All products sold are duty paid and BAC has applied for a liquor licence in Queensland to allow it to add wines & spirits to the site, the airport company tells The Moodie Davitt Report.

Importantly, the initiative also allows the airport and its partners to retain jobs across product sourcing, packaging, logistics and shipping.

Shippit Joint-CEO and Co-Founder Rob Hango-Zada says: “We are proud to support this initiative and play some role in enabling airport retailers to continue to flourish in a 100% online world.

“We have been blown away by the number of businesses pivoting their operations in uncertain times to not just survive but thrive during this challenging time.

“The BNE Marketplace has turned the world of airport retailing on its head. Our mission is to revolutionise how businesses ship anything to anyone anywhere in the world and this presents a great opportunity to collaborate with Brisbane Airport on just that.”

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The Moodie Davitt eZine

Issue 279 | 4 May 2020

The Moodie Davitt eZine is published 12 times per year by The Moodie Davitt Report (Moodie International Ltd). © All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the Publisher. To find out more visit www.moodiedavittreport.com and to subscribe, please e-mail sinead@moodiedavittreport.com

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