Fifty years ago this week Robert Miller and Charles ‘Chuck’ Feeney opened an office and showroom to service their fledgling duty free business in Hong Kong. Tonight, the company they founded – DFS – is set to mark its 50th anniversary with a very special event in Hong Kong. As our photo shows, this afternoon
People
You can’t keep a good man down
Two wounded soldiers got together in Brighton, England this week to discuss their respective recoveries and to look forward to many good days in the future. The occasion was a visit I took to the south coast seaside city to see Dubai Duty Free Managing Director Colm McLoughlin, who is currently recuperating from hip surgery.
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Miscellaneous
Truly wicked: MAC and Disney unleash Venomous Villains
If the reaction in this writer’s house is anything to go by (and we don’t get too much wrong) MAC is onto yet another winner with its new Venomous Villains collection, created in partnership with Disney. The line, which features four mini-collections themed around One Hundred and One Dalmatians’ Cruella de Vil, Snow White’s Evil
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Events
Return to the Bleeding Heart
Please excuse the recent lack of Blog entries; it’s been a testing few weeks. These are what they call in rugby the ‘hard yards’. Adapting to life without a stomach means having to learn to eat all over again, like a child. Except this time I am in my mid-50s, not my infancy. I had
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People
A post-Cannes boost
If you can’t come to Cannes, bring Cannes to you. That was the spirit behind a hugely enjoyable lunch last Saturday in London as I caught up with a delegation from the King Power (Hong Kong) team, Centaur Travel Retail’s Rakhita Jayawardena and Peter Sant, Managing Director of Rémy Cointreau Global Travel Retail. (Left to right):
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Miscellaneous
Blue is the colour…but Nivea is the name
Attention to detail is often what differentiates average from outstanding – which bodes well for the Nivea brand, which unveiled its new travel retail strategy at last week’s TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes. As previously revealed on The Moodie Report.com, the Nivea brand’s travel retail presence is set to grow worldwide, following the creation earlier
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Miscellaneous
Making a difference at MIS-HIT
The annual Moodie International Superstars Honorary Invitation Tournament – affectionately known as The MIS-HIT – isn’t only notable for the wide variety of golf swing on show among the players. It’s also remarkable for the depth of generosity and humanity among the people that play in it. After this year’s event, played in glorious sunshine
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People
A personal salute to a great Irish Rover
Today’s formal announcement of John Sutcliffe’s forthcoming retirement as Managing Director of Aer Rianta International-Middle East is no surprise (he gave long notice both to the company and his many friends in the business) but it still cannot be allowed to pass without comment. Make no mistake about the significance of the moment – one
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Miscellaneous
Don Navarro lights up Pernod dinner
The Pernod Ricard Travel Retail dinner is a highlight of Cannes week for any tired and emotional trade hack, and this year was no exception. Held at the Hotel Carlton’s Salon de la Cote, this year’s event saw the usual mix of fine food, copious spirits and engaging conversation. And while the supplier’s Head of
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Miscellaneous
Autogrill’s new era…and a lovely tribute
“This is our first official gathering as two teams united in one vision and in one project.” The words of José Maria Palencia, who heads the combined WDF-Aldeasa travel retail organisation, as he welcomed guests to the Autogrill-owned company’s cocktail party on Monday night in Cannes. Palencia paid tribute to the group’s brand partners, and
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Miscellaneous
A belated cheers to life
It’s all a French conspiracy. Not only can I not be in Cannes this year, but my first post-gastrectomy efforts to drink some wine to celebrate my return home were foiled by Gallic disasters. So relieved was I to be out of hospital last Friday evening that I decided to road-test my new internal plumbing
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Miscellaneous
An emotional evening for John Sutcliffe
John Sutcliffe, one of the most respected and influential executives in travel retail, was the subject of a special celebration from industry colleagues on Sunday night at the Carlton Hotel. Sutcliffe is retiring from his post as Aer Rianta International-Middle East Managing Director at the end of the year. At midnight last night, many of
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Miscellaneous
Anglo-German partnership captures MIS-HIT trophy
The Anglo-German partnership of WDF CEO Mark Riches and Gebr Heinemann Co-Owner Gunnar Heinemann captured the annual Moodie International Superstars Honorary Invitation Tournament – affectionately known as The MIS-HIT – yesterday. A field of 24 industry colleagues from across the world took part in the event, now in its ninth year. It took place amid
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