Welcome to The Moodie Blog’s first roving bureau. I’m writing this from the Fraser Suites in beautiful Edinburgh but I’ll be updating it from Gleneagles, about an hour from here. No, there’s not a lot of travel retail business going on at Gleneagles – but there’s a lot of travel retail executives there. That’s because
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Miscellaneous
Winding down, then up again, post Trinity 2014
I’m exhausted. Mentally. Physically. Every which way. Running an event such as The Trinity Forum simply takes it all out of you. Besides the intensity of the preparation, it’s the pressure-cooker atmosphere of managing the introductions, the time-keeping, the speeches, the speakers, the room, the audience, the question and answer sessions and much more besides that really
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Miscellaneous
Travel Retail Consortium conjures up Animal Magic
There are plenty of party animals in travel retail and, I daresay, the occasional spot of monkey business, so the choice of venue for the Travel Retail Consortium’s (TRC) annual Business Lunch last week – London Zoo – was nothing short of inspired. London Zoo was an inspired venue for the TRC 2014 Business Lunch
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Miscellaneous
‘Yes’ vote for Scottish independence means ‘Och Aye’ for duty free
Tomorrow’s historic vote on whether Scotland should be an independent country (Yes) or remain part of the UK (No), could have unexpected benefits for both nations’ duty free industries, writes our Glasgow correspondent Mai Sporran. Should a majority of the approximate 4 million voters say Yes, then Scotland will become independent. In that event, huge questions
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Miscellaneous
Arriving in true Trinity style at Taoyuan after Sunrise celebrates 15 great years
I’ve arrived in Taipei for The Trinity Forum 2014, our annual airport commercial revenues conference co-organised with ACI and ACI Asia-Pacific, and what a welcome it was. Ever Rich Duty Free, our Platinum Partner, and Taoyuan Airport our hosts, have arranged a special Trinity makeover for their VIP welcoming buggies. It’s such a nice touch
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Miscellaneous
Paul Smith socks it to me before Sunrise in Shanghai
This Blog begins at the Emirates Lounge at Heathrow Airport Terminal 3, waiting to fly to Shanghai, via Dubai. I suspect it may not end here… I’m heading to Shanghai for the 15th anniversary of Sunrise Duty Free, where I’m privileged to be the sole international travel retail media representative. I’ve tracked Sunrise closely since
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Miscellaneous
Every picture tells a story at Zürich Airport
One of the most experienced and respected executives in the travel retail sector was comparing notes with me the other day on airports that really stood out in terms of their commercial offer. “Have you been to Zürich Airport lately?” he asked me, “Don’t you think it’s outstanding?” I had and I do. I’ve
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Miscellaneous
Unafraid of heights; unafraid of difficulties
Sometimes you just have to forget the superlatives and simply say ‘Wow’. In fact, I probably heard the expression more on a single day, 1 September, than I have in the past decade, as brand executives reacted to the stunning new CDF Mall at Haitang Bay on Hainan Island, China. As the sole industry media
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Miscellaneous
No making (duty free) allowances for western leaders in Vladivostok
If US President Barak Obama or German leader Angela Merkel happen to be travelling through Vladivostok Airport this year, they better not expect to stock up on duty free. An in-store sign banning Obama and Merkel, along with the UK, Canadian, French, Australian and Japanese leaders David Cameron, Stephen Harper, Francois Hollande, Tony Abbott andShinzo
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Miscellaneous
Lost (and found) in translation
In a troubled world full of violence, greed and often downright evil, it’s the little things in life that restore your faith in humanity. And so it came to pass last week during a whistlestop visit to Zürich for an informal dinner with The Nuance Group President Roberto Graziani. Roberto, like me, is partial to a drop of fine
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Miscellaneous
Heathrow T2: Making a statement about airport F&B
It’s just over two months since the opening of London Heathrow Terminal 2 : The Queen’s Terminal, and the transition continues for many of the carriers that will eventually use the new facility. The stores and restaurants at T2 won’t reach their full trading potential probably until 2015, as airline capacity builds and as passengers
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Miscellaneous
Death of a journalist: 100 years on, does mankind ever learn?
To what God shall we chant our songs of battle? Oh, to whom shall a song of battle be chanted? Not to our lord of the hosts on his ancient throne Drowsing the ages out in Heaven alone. The celestial choirs are mute, the angels have fled Word is gone forth abroad that our lord
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Miscellaneous
New Zealand and Australia play out an exciting draw
Last Saturday the All Blacks and the Wallabies (for the uninitiated, the national rugby teams of New Zealand and Australia) played out a nail-biting 12-12 draw in Sydney, in conditions straight out of the bleakest mid-winter scenes of ‘March of the Penguins’. In pulling off the draw, the (delete expletives here) Aussies stopped the All