I ended up buying two more tins, each bearing the birth years (most definitely not to be revealed but clearly I knew what was on their Christmas fish-lists) of my wife Yulim and The Moodie Davitt Report Publisher Irene Revilla
Airports
Discovering a show-stopping Spanish brandy at Alicante Duty Free
A nightcap was called for, Torres 15 Reserva Privada Imperial Brandy to be precise. But could I open the unusually shaped top? It looked like a simple enough exercise but the only thing that was simple was my bafflement. Without giving the game away, the technique is what Bob Dylan might call A Simple Twist-off Feat.
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Miscellaneous
Time for the reign of cats and dogs in travel retail
Luxury brands, including Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Celine, Gucci, MCM, Prada and Tiffany & Co. are all offering pet products, ranging from dog bowls to waterproof coats to cotton fleece hoodies. And yet in the whole travel retail world there is just a solitary pet accessories store.
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Events
The mysterious case of the disappearing Travel Retail Weekly
To my great surprise, my missive prompted the following reply: “I recently became aware that what I did constitutes a serious ethical lapse, and I take full responsibility for my actions. The article was prepared by AI and it did not notify me of the sources.”
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Quirky
Mama don’t take my Toblerone (Dark) away
I feel a ‘Buy 30 get 11 free’ offer coming on. Forget Chief Brody’s famous lines from Jaws, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” For World Duty Free CEO Fred Creighton it will be a case of “You’re gonna need a bigger basket.”
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Quirky
Time to paws Petsonality as Tito’s Handmade Vodka unleashes support for The Moodie Blog
The sight and sound of an industry executive yelling “Taxi!” while chasing a chair-dragging dog of the same name down the street is surely one for my unofficial history of the travel retail world.
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People
All aboard the Gucci Pink Express bound for an Amar (and AI) reimagined Heathrow
From the moment you step aboard, you’ll be transported into a world of opulence and adventure, all bathed in the beautiful hue of pink.
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Quirky
Perfect pours, great green fehlers and The Incredible Bulk
The great fehler (mistake) is believed to have inspired a similarly named American World War II movie starring Steve McQueen as a POW in which the original choice of a Springstab or pogo stick as his choice of escape vehicle was accidently translated as motorbike.
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Events
How I overcame Severe Tire Damage to become the oldest influencer in town
Before you knew it I was receiving LIVE gifts in appreciation of my efforts. Perhaps it was audience sympathy – they may have thought I was past my ‘cell by’ date – but whatever the reasons the livestream ranked number three in Hainan that day.
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Airports
How a €3,000-plus lucky lighter proves it really does pay to shop duty free
Irish auctioneer Gormleys is putting the lighter under the hammer – hopefully not literally – with a guide price of €2,300. Already it has attracted a bid of €2,900 and that’s likely to go much higher.
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Promotions
How CDF created a new style of duty free gift-rapping
Hey presto, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, with the adept deployment of a strategically placed dot CDFG created Dottie as an emblem of its world-class shopping offer.
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Events
Creating unforgettable memories with Maison Margiela
Chris Lee, delicate, almost bird-like in her androgynous beauty, was the star of the show, generating a rapturous reaction from hundreds of fans gathered for the event launch.
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Quirky
Assessing the great Olivetti vs ChatGPT showdown
Ah, even saying the word ‘Olivetti’ out loud fills me with affection and nostalgia. I learned my craft on it. I didn’t need ChatGPT then just as I have never felt the need for an automatic garage door.