Images of the Year

Tiger takeover at Haikou Mova Mall

YSL Beauté Travel Retail Asia Pacific partnered with China Duty Free Group (CDFG) to host a dazzling Lunar New Year pop-up at the Haikou Mova Mall in January. The pop-up was celebrated with an opening ceremony on 6 January which featured a live concert, makeup shows and KOL-led livestreams. The striking outdoor pop-up was dressed in festive red velvet, offering a showcase for L’Oréal Travel Retail’s latest beauty tech and retailtainment innovations.

A show of solidarity, peace and unity onboard MSC Orchestra

Against the backdrop of the terrible conflict unfolding in Ukraine in February, a reminder from MSC Cruises of the importance of friendship and peace. MSC Cruises Head of Retail Adrian Pittaway shared this image from MSC Orchestra, where team members from Ukraine and Russia showed their humanity and solidarity with each other.

Sense of Place to the fore at Vienna Terminal 2

Vienna Airport restarted operations at the remodelled Terminal 2 on 29 March, with Sense of Place central to the facility’s bright new look and updated commercial offer.

Among the highlights is the 2,400sq m ‘Vienna Lounge’, comprising typical Viennese design elements, high-quality furnishings and a panoramic view of the airport apron. In cooperation with the Leopold Museum, the lounge is decorated with art prints of well-known works by major local artists such as Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and others.

It complements the varied shopping and restaurant arena featuring, among others, Heinemann Duty Free, Swarovski, Juice Factory, CAPI, Lami and Convenience Shop. F&B highlights include Zugvogel, Veganista/The LaLa-Store featuring vegan delicacies and popular Austrian restaurant brand Trzesniewski (pre-security).

The Macallan’s windows to the world

In March, Edrington Global Travel Retail revealed a series of eye-catching window displays for The Macallan Red Collection at The Macallan Boutiques at New York John F. Kennedy, Taoyuan International and Dubai International airports. The window displays celebrate the Red Collection series of rare single malt Scotch whiskies, a collection that pays homage to the significance of the colour red to The Macallan’s history and heritage.

Nestlé’s Digitally Connected Shopper campaign creates powerful engagement

A colourful KitKat branding initiative delivered high engagement levels for Nestlé International Travel Retail through January 2022 (after beginning in December 2021) across duty free stores in Dubai, Madrid and Hainan Island (Haikou and Sanya airports).

In total 22 million online impressions were delivered across the target locations via high-traffic platforms, as Nestlé’s ‘Digitally Connected Shopper’ campaign series focused on extending the shopper journey, creating greater brand awareness, and deepening engagement with travellers as they pass through the airport.

Nars launches breakthrough 3D Virtual Animation with China Duty Free Group

In April Shiseido Travel Retail unveiled ‘Nonstop Nars Virtual World’, the brand’s first ever 3D Virtual Animation (VA). The innovative digital platform showcases Nars’ travel retail-exclusive products and engages with consumers throughout their travelling journey.

Shiseido Travel Retail partnered exclusively with China Duty Free Group (CDFG) for the pre-launch, which was supported by online and offline promotions across CDFG’s digital platforms and on-counter at the Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Haitang Bay.

Towards the next generation of air travel

In April, British start-up Urban-Air Port (UAP) opened Air-One, the much-anticipated infrastructure hub for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. The vertiport site in the UK city of Coventry – visited by The Moodie Davitt Report during inauguration week – heralds a new age of zero-emission, congestion-reducing urban transport. It also represents a potentially big non-aeronautical opportunity once the infrastructure is up and running.

The company has partnered with brands holding strong links to the travel retail channel including Anatomie, Bottega, Nestlé, Paul & Shark, Rituals and Henkell Freixenet. They are all supporting UAP’s new retail and F&B brand, Urban-Air Choice, underpinned by an app of the same name. Our image comes from the official opening. Click here for our coverage from a groundbreaking week in Coventry.

Auckland Airport says ‘Kia ora’ as international travel returns

What better way to say Kia ora (colloquially ‘Good day’ in Māori but more literally ‘be well/healthy’) to travellers from around the world than with a giant welcome sign painted at the end of the runway? The beautifully symbolic initiative from May celebrated New Zealand finally lifting an international travel ban that had been in place for over two years.

Dial 080 for luxury

In advance of the opening of the new ‘terminal in a garden’ in November, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) and Travel Food Services unveiled a luxury lounge experience at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. The 080 lounges – named after the Bengaluru dialling code – appear in both international and domestic zones – and meet BIAL’s ambition “to deliver the highest standards of service delivery, world-class quality, technology and innovation”.

Martell makes a powerful statement at GDF Plaza

Wines & spirits companies continued to invest heavily with the retailer partners in Hainan Island through 2022, with a number of hugely engaging, experiential new stores developed this year.

Among them was the opening of the largest Martell boutique in travel retail at Global Premium Duty Free (GDF) Plaza in Mova Mall, Haikou. Visitors are invited to experience virtual and real-life retail theatre, including digitalised merchandising units, product personalisation, VIP tasting opportunities and Martell’s hero in-store shopper engagement feature, the Martell Untouchable Taste, in the 140sq m store.

A dash of colour at London Stansted

In June, Lebanese cuisine specialist Comptoir Libanais partnered with HMSHost to open a new restaurant at London Stansted Airport. As our chosen image shows, it adds a welcome dash of colour and vibrancy to the dining zone, alongside an eclectic menu that caters to all times of the day.