Farewell Kathleen Ann Viray Ilagan, OFW and heroine

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are rightly revered in the Philippines, considered as heroes and heroines. And whenever I am at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, I realise why.  It’s not just about their economic contribution, it’s also about humanity. One simply cannot be untouched by the alternating emotions of the Arrivals and Departure halls,

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An audience with OPI’s pioneer of polish

Last week, courtesy of Coty and OPI, I made a flying visit to San Francisco – via Madrid. The Spanish city was the setting for the launch event of OPI’s Fall/Winter 2013 San Francisco collection, which will be available from August. OPI’s Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, the First Lady of Nails The line is said to deliver

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Banding together for the run

Word reaches The Moodie Blog of some extraordinary training efforts taking place for The Moodie Report Great Travel Retail Educathlon – the 2013 follow-up to the hugely successful Moodie Multi-National Marathons of the past two years, which have raised over US$650,000 across the worldwide travel retail community. To be held between 28-30 June, the event encourages

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Lotte says “Hafa Adai Guam”

It may currently be just a US$30-40 million duty free concession but the importance of Lotte Duty Free’s success in being named preferred bidder for Guam International Airport’s duty free and specialty retail concession cannot be overstated. This tender, like those of Hong Kong International Airport last year, was a drawn-out, suspenseful and controversial contract

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Taking the luxury leap in China’s lower tier cities

The digital speed clock in the train carriage ticks past 303 kilometres per hour, and outside the countryside and towns of Jiangsu province in eastern China flash by. We’re heading for Zhenjiang, a Tier 3 level prefecture city, to see how luxury brands are penetrating new markets within this vast country. I’m in the company

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Bumping into an old acquaintance at Gatwick

Better late than never. I’m at Gatwick Airport, heading out to the Duty Free Show of the Americas, three days later than originally planned and now delayed further due to a technical issue onboard. At this rate I may get there in time for the exhibition breakdown. I’d already been tapping away at my keyboard

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A Foundation of fizz to support a fallen friend

Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again; Though lovers be lost love shall not; And death shall have no dominion. – Dylan Thomas Word reaches The Moodie Blog that Scorpio Worldwide Managing Director Ian Cowie is raising much-needed funds for the British Heart Foundation in honour of one of travel retail’s great

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Sunil sets sizzling early pace in the Great Travel Retail Educathlon

King Power Group (HK) Travel Retail & Duty Free Managing Director Sunil Tuli is setting a sizzling early training and fund-raising pace in The Moodie Report Great Travel Retail EDUCATHLON to raise funds for children’s education worldwide. To be held between 28-30 June, the event encourages participants from the travel retail industry to  complete 7k on

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Putting a new gloss on Grossé

Meet the Fattedad family: father Benjamin (Benny), daughter Karin and son Kasim. Benny Fattedad is a well-known and much-respected figure in Asian retail circles and he and his family are currently driving the remarkable resurgence of costume jewellery brand Grossé. I had the pleasure of catching up with the family in Hong Kong last week at

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Lost in translation down under

I’ve arrived in Melbourne, capital of the Australian state of Victoria, and a beautiful and cosmopolitan city. I’m here to meet the board of Australian Pacific Airports Corporation (APAC), which owns Melbourne and Launceston airports, and to give a presentation about the trends and future of global travel retail. I’m no stranger to long haul

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Sunday too far away

If it’s Sunday,  it must be Hong Kong right? Or Melbourne? Or somewhere in between…? I’ve closed down The Moodie Report’s very temporary Hong Kong Bureau at the Regal Hotel at Hong Kong International Airport (along with Heathrow Airport my joint second home in recent weeks) with its wonderful view of planes swooping down on

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Welcome to planet earth Jake – Dad will be there soon

Hi Martin (writes Alex Cook of Lightfoot Marketing), I often read the blog articles you write onboard various forward-thinking airlines who have wifi – think you mentioned Hong Kong Airlines (?). Well… I’m now the world’s biggest fan of this innovation. Currently writing this email somewhere above Poland on a Singapore Airlines A380 from Changi.

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Jack Daniel’s turns up the brand power in Dubai

So who exactly is the man in the white shirt being mobbed for his autograph in the photo above? A rock star on a farewell tour maybe? Or a famous sportsman suddenly identified in a hotel by legions of adoring fans? Neither. In fact, it’s Jeff Arnett, Master Distiller of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, one of the

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