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
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
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Miscellaneous
Dubai Duty Free shapes new venture on the hoof
Is it a horse? A camel? A Dubai Duty Free-sponsored hybrid? No it’s the world’s first-ever ‘human racehorse’, conceived to celebrate the world’s premier international jockeys’ competition, today’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot Racecourse near London. The giant horse (pictured ‘ridden’ by German jockey Steffi Hofer passing the Ascot winning post) is composed of ten
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Miscellaneous
Mighty Irish too good for New Zealand in rugby classic
I have been challenged by several Irish travel retail executives to write this story, and write it I shall… Above is the headline many Irish men and women thought they would never read. It’s certainly one that Irish friends of mine in travel retail thought I’d never write. I had, after all, regaled all who wanted