Up close and personal in travel retail
I’m just returning from a fascinating trip to Japan, where the travel retail market is evolving due to new business dynamics, changing consumer habits and a continued surge in visitor growth led by China. In advance of our full report in Moodie Davitt Print & Interactive editions for May, here are five takeaways from a
I’m over north-eastern Australia on the long Emirates flight from Auckland to Dubai, as my final trip of the year draws to a close. I’m winging my way back to Ireland for Christmas after visits to Melbourne and Auckland airports (more on their respective retail developments on our home page). When I travel at this
For any forward-looking airport company, taking the best of the city or region it represents and translating it faithfully to its own travel environment is both aspiration and challenge. And not that many airports get it right. Some add touches of local flavour in the shopping or food offer but little in the way of
“The Whinging Pome Random Rules, Rule 22: Always engage with those sitting next to you on a flight, but very quickly make an assessment whether such an engagement is going to be worthwhile. If not, apply The Whinging Pome Random Rules, Rule 52: Cease all contact and employ diversionary tactics. If Rule No 52 fails,
Greetings from the latest Moodie Davitt Interim Bureau, on the wondrous Dalmatian coast near Dubrovnik. As the images on this page suggest, there are worse places to spend time as a journalist in the duty free industry. The beauty of the region is one thing, but it has been matched by the welcome I have
For Dubliners, Lambay Island has always had an air of mystery and impenetrability. If like me, you spent your summers digging sandcastles on the various strands from Portmarnock to Sutton, facing east to the Irish Sea, Lambay was a looming but in many ways distant presence. A private island around three miles offshore, we never
“Tubber Patrick: The finest opening hole in links golf?” the Portstewart Golf Club website asks teasingly. Or, if you translate from the native Northern Irish, it means “are you really sure you want to do this?” I’m standing on hole number one at Portstewart, home to this week’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by
It’s no coincidence that cross-border e-commerce specialist and emerging travel retail player GDFS chose Hangzhou as the site to kick-start the next wave of its expansion. On Saturday GDFS opened its first Experience store in this city of nine million people, which is also home to one of the behemoths of the digital retail world, Alibaba. GDFS,
Ask any Irish person (and many overseas visitors) what names resonate when they hear the words ‘Slane Castle’, and a who’s who of the rock and roll world trips off the tongue. Thin Lizzy, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Queen, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, U2 and many others have played the magnificent amphitheatre nestled by
I’m in the middle of a whirlwind visit to Japan this week, which given the changing dynamics in the business here, could not be more timely. There are fascinating stories everywhere you look from the likely opening of the country’s first arrivals duty free stores to the early struggles of the fledgling downtown duty free
There’s a new chapter in the inspiring story of Canadian duty free veteran Jeff Orson: last week he made his musical debut in Dublin.
“Every day is a new day and not to be wasted. I try to wring every last moment out of it. People think that the party will go on forever, but I know differently now. You don’t know when that call will come.”
Classic, colourful, quirky: we’ve championed the virtues of Taiwan Taoyuan International before, but a visit here this week reminds me just what a compelling experience this great airport can be. I’m here on a short trip – little more than 48 hours – to attend the official opening of The Macallan’s striking new store in