A quick return trip from London to Madrid the other day offered interesting contrasts between some of the stores in London Heathrow T1 and Madrid Barajas T4. Generally Heathrow and Madrid count among the better exponents of airport retailing but my experiences last week showed that our sector can get it badly wrong as well as thrillingly
Blog
Airports
Savouring the spirit of partnership
Cask 811. It’s a name that promises to be on more than a few malt whisky lovers’ lips in 2008. The cask in question hails from the beautiful Isle of Islay – the ‘Queen of the Hebrides’ as it is often dubbed. It currently resides in the dank warehouse of Morrison Bowmore Distilers, where the air is filled
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Airports
Avoiding the perfect storm
Just when it all seems to be going wrong, it all goes right. Airport construction delays, the now all-too familiar LAGs restrictions, a sharp decline in passenger numbers driven by the country’s pull-out from an important regional carrier (Gulf Air) and even – yes, you read it right – a Middle East cyclone. It all
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Events
The Art of Antiquitease
How do you follow a PA by Sean John, flanked by a buxom bevy of lingerie-clad lovelies posing on a podium? With MAC Antiquitease, of course. The Estee Lauder Companies’ traditional Monday night cocktail evening in Cannes needed to go some to top last year’s celebrity-studded bash – but that’s exactly what it did. (Real)
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People
Andy’s back in the fast Lane
News that long-time Whyte & Mackay Travel Retail Director Andy Lane (above) has taken up a similar post at independent drinks company Ian McLeod Distillers is welcome. Andy is one of the trade’s most genuine individuals, and committed and knowledgeable with it. For the past few months he has been consulting for Ian McLeod Distillers,
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Quirky
Lock-out at Maison Moodie Report
[Photo: Mrs Moodie Report] The nights are setting in down at The Moodie Report Worldwide Headquarters (also known as ‘The Shed’). Fall has fallen in London and with it the night shift becomes just that little more onerous. Given the demands of our 24-hour industry and a packed editorial programme, the nights are often long
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Events
Reflections on TFWA World Exhibition 2007
Now the carnival is over… TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, the glittering annual extravaganza of the duty free and travel retail industries, drew to a muted close on Friday with a quieter than usual last day due to the Air France strike that hastened the exits of many overseas delegates. The ‘breakdown’ of a trade
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Miscellaneous
Why we will miss Patrick Moran
Brown-Forman Travel Retail Managing Director Patrick Moran’s decision to retire robs the industry of one of its keenest minds and one of the great contributors to the ‘Trinity’ debate of recent years. Moran was one of the key voices in the acclaimed ‘White Paper’ that came out of the inaugural Trinity Forum in 2003 and he
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Events
A world-class Premier in Cannes
Of all the industry ‘Oscars’ handed out at the annual Frontier Awards in Cannes last night, none was more popular with the audience than that received by Premier Portfolio. The UK company, owned by Andrew Webster (pictured right) and Kevin Walsh (second from right), has thrived in recent years thanks to a combination of innovative
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Miscellaneous
Farewell to a man of talent and integrity
News that L’Oreal Produits de Luxe International Travel Retail boss Vincent Boinay is leaving to head the company’s Japanese market division is a real blow to this channel. He is to take up a new domestic role within the group, as Luxury Products Division Managing Director Japan. Vincent took over his current role in 2005
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Miscellaneous
Great brands, great company
The traditional Habanos dinner is always one of the highlights of Cannes. And this year Export Director Manuel Garcia put together a typically warm and friendly evening, with a never-ending supply of fine Habanos. Remarkably, in an era where the pleasure of cigar smoking is increasingly endangered by the anti-smoking environment, the Cuban house continues
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Miscellaneous
Space management for a down to earth man
As stage sets go they probably don’t come much better than that on show at this week’s opening conference at TFWA World Exhibition. Reflecting the ‘Brand the World, Ask for the Moon’ tagline of the exhibition and the background of keynote speaker Neil Armstrong – the first man to walk on the moon – the
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Miscellaneous
All Blacks capture rugby crown
No, not that one…South Africa are still world champions of the 15-man game, but the All Blacks have finally got their hands on some silverware – the Travel Retail All Blacks, that is. The ABs won a series of close-fought contests with three other teams to capture the inaugural Travel Retail Touch Rugby Sevens tournament,