This Moodie BLOG comes to you from the lounge at Frankfurt Airport, 7 hours into a unique travel retail journey from New York JFK Airport to Singapore Changi. I’m travelling with the Pernod Ricard Asia travel retail team, Managing Director Alexandre Ricard and two of his senior team, Patrick Castanier and Gloria Song. And one
Events
The Eagle has landed
Many delegates at next month’s Cannes show will be turning up with a bad case of fever. No, not avian flu or dengue, but rugby fever. The Saturday preceding the exhibition – the day of arrival for many visitors – is also the day (or night) of the Rugby World Cup final, to be played
Read More
Miscellaneous
The man in the chocolate suit
Some travel retail executives really live their job. But not many actually wear it. A notable exception is David Spillane, ebullient Irishman, confectionery specialist and part-time rock ‘n roller in the industry’s Billy Norman Band. David runs GTR Sales and arrived in Delhi this week to attend the Incredible India conference and to moderate a
Read More
Airports
Quivering at inflight security
It’s little wonder that we have an aviation security crisis when you see what some passengers try to take onboard. The transparent disposal bins at many airport security points always make fascinating viewing and it’s amazing how many passengers still seem to think it’s fine to take scissors and pocket knifes onboard, let alone the odd litre
Read More
Events
Win two Rugby World Cup quarter-final tickets, support The Smile Train charity dinner and transform some young lives
Missing the match hurts – but it is more than offset by the pleasure of knowing a great cause will benefit. I’m offering my two tickets to a glamour quarter-final match at the Rugby World Cup on 6 October for auction. The game is likely to be played between the New Zealand All Blacks (unless Scotland pull off
Read More
Miscellaneous
ASUTIL erupts amid Argentinean rugby triumph
Sometimes in life you just have to be in the right place at the right time. So it was for rugby-loving delegates attending the 11th annual ASUTIL conference in Lima, Peru. In an unprecedented conference ‘presentation’ ASUTIL left the big screens in place in the conference room after the event finished and arranged for a
Read More
Airports
True style knows no boundaries
One of the nicest, most tasteful stand-alone stores The Moodie BLOG has encountered in recent times is at Madrid Barajas Airport. It’s an absolutely delightful Carolina Herrera store that lives up to the designer’s oft-stated motto ‘True style knows no boundaries or generations’. Where so much airport retail is loud and unsubtle, this store is understatement epitomised.
Read More
Airports
Just another day at Dubai Duty Free
Every picture tells a story. Or in this case a myriad of stories. Our image was snapped early on a Saturday morning at Dubai International Airport as we rode up the escalator towards the gate. The picture captures the incredible throng of people and the sheer buzz that constantly pervades the retail area at Dubai