Estée Lauder?s all-American appeal has gained it leading positions on make-up and cosmetics shelves worldwide. Its fragrances, however, have struggled to penetrate the European market, with many operators preferring the tried and trusted safety of the French houses. Frenchman Olivier Bottrie, vice-president/general manager Aramis and designer fragrances, has ambitious plans to change all that, as he reveals to Jane Labous.

The miniature coffrets market has been declining in recent years. But Gebr Heinemann is one operator that believes small can still be beautiful. Jane Labous discovers why.

Despite the effects of September 11 on traffic and retail spend, many leading EU airports remain committed to ambitious and expensive expansion programmes. Passenger numbers are forecast to return to their previous highs and customers are becoming ever more demanding of their retailers. DFNI talks to a selection of EU airport commercial managers about their plans and priorities for 2002. By Gavin Lipsith and Dermot Davitt.

The crisis that followed the September 11 atrocities has served to heighten concern among EU airports: concern over their ability to weather the storm, and?in some cases?even their viability. On the eve of the ACI Europe trading conference in Paris, DFNI spoke to ACI president and Turin airport general manager Claudio Boccardo about the challenges facing Europe?s airports.

European airports continue to suffer severely from the events of September 11, insists ACI.

Nestlé International Travel Retail general manager Dan Cappell is leaving at the end of April to join Middle East operator Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Catering & Duty Free.

The International Association of Airport Duty Free Stores (IAADFS) has scheduled three sports tournaments for next month?s Duty Free Show of the Americas.

On its website the Jordan Tourism Board invites visitors to ?take a trip into history?. In a similar vein, the 8th Middle East & Africa Duty Free Symposium held in  Amman last month saw delegates take a long hard look at the history of travel-retail in search of a way forward for the industry. Trevor Lloyd-Jones reports.

The Middle East symposium closed with a stimulating debate on the World Health Organization?s (WHO) threat to duty-free tobacco sales. Alpha Retail's Paul Topping presented the recent campaign activities of the International Travel Retail Confederation (ITRC).

Aldeasa?s new beauty store at Madrid Barajas airport is designed to make shopping as easy as possible. Jane Labous finds out how.

China Duty Free Group has been growing its beauty and fragrances business for several years. As Chinese airports are modernised and the region?s tourist industry expands, it hopes to attract bigger brands. Jane Labous talks to China Duty Free manager fragrance and cosmetics sales and management branch Cecilia Liu.

This week leading travel retailers in the US submitted a white paper on the health of airport commerce to 250 airport authorities around the country. Their assessment of what they call the ?new reality? makes grim reading.

INTERNATIONAL. Campaigners working to overturn the proposed ban on duty-free tobacco by the World Health Organization (WHO) have made fresh calls for support from the industry as the next round of talks in March approaches.

US. In a dramatic development this week, top travel retailers in the US have called for a radical rethink on how airport commercial concessions are structured, to reflect what they call ?the new reality? after September 11. High on the agenda is a proposal to remove minimum annual guarantees from concession contracts.

UK. BAA?s pre-tax profits for the nine months to December 31 2001 are down 4.8% to £441m ($622m), with a third-quarter fall of 21%. The results reflect the impact of September 11 and the consequent decline in passenger numbers of almost 10%. But retail held up well.

INTERNATIONAL. DFS Group has announced a company-wide restructure in the face of troubling recent results. The move, aimed at streamlining operations and reducing costs, follows a 33% fall in sales in the latest quarter which prompted parent LVMH to announce it would ?right-size? DFS.

PUERTO RICO. Alliance Duty Free is pressing ahead with the remodelling of its stores at San Juan International airport. The company invested $5m in its operations in 2001 and refurbished most of its existing outlets, as well as building a new Perfume Palace store.

EUROPE. Despite the crisis the travel industry is facing, airports and retailers should be preparing for recovery and continuing to invest in their businesses, ACI Europe president Claudio Boccardo has told DFNI.

INTERNATIONAL. Almost 50 years of uninterrupted growth in the global tourism industry ended last year, according to preliminary results just released by the World Tourism Organization (WTO).

SWEDEN. Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) has announced it is to launch a new inflight brochure on April 1. The revamped retail offer will include about 40 new products.

TAIWAN. DataFlight Europe, the Danish supplier of handheld sales terminals, has signed a contract to supply POS terminals to Taiwan?s largest carrier China Airlines.

As the new Schengen pier A terminal at Brussels Zaventem airport nears completion, Belgian Sky Shops (BSS) expects the new outlets to provide an opportunity to give its liquor range a radical new look.

Cognac house Otard plans to build its profile in duty-free this year with a series of promotions and shelving initiatives exclusive to the channel.

Buyers and agents wishing to sample the extensive ranges of cigars, cigarillos, cigarettes and ryo tobacco on show at the TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition will have a chance to light up and relax in a new tobacco sampling room.

Tommy Hilfiger?s new crackling colognes are designed to offer fun new formulas which give fragrance a multi-sensory appeal.

Spanish house Puig is to develop a new fragrance division to build on the popularity of young designers, the company has told DFNI. The first fragrance to be launched within the new category is by British fashion designer Hussein Chalayan.

China Duty Free Group is working hard to develop the fragrances and cosmetics part of its business. This year the retailer intends to focus on China?s top six airports in terms of sales volume, number of international passengers and the kind of brands available.

Prestige skincare brand Crème de la Mer will open a new door in Singapore airport this month.

BAA group product director Cliff Phythian and other senior executives joined Belgian Sky Shops (BSS) staff, headed by managing director Philippe Gruwez, this month to celebrate the opening of The Chocolate Company store in London Heathrow.

Masterfoods International Travel Retail (MITR) is using its new Celebrations packs to spearhead its multi-product launches for the Americas at the IAADFS show in Orlando next month.

Family-owned Icelandic company MDT, which operates the ARTitIS shop at Amsterdam Schiphol airport, is seeking to expand its innovative gifts concepts.

Three new items from Braun will make their IAADFS debut in Orlando next month.

Swedish gifts company plus4 Design hopes to strengthen its travel-retail presence in 2002 with new inflight and ferry listings.

UK specialist writing instruments retailer The Pen Shop has been focusing on Valentine?s Day at its London airport terminals with the help of several leading suppliers.

Greek jewellery and fashion accessories manufacturer Folli Follie has won the tender for a stand-alone boutique at London Heathrow terminal three.

The new Blue range is designed to be a modern, easy-to-wear addition to the collection. As well as the same shades of blue associated with Wedgwood porcelain, the collection features accents of pink and black in a variety of polished silver designs.

Spanish travel retailer Aldeasa is taking steps to revitalise and re-emphasise its fashion business. The move comes as Spain?s government announces its Global Fashion Plan, a project to promote Spanish fashion companies and designers abroad.

Tommy Hilfiger sunglasses have cracked Gucci?s stranglehold on the number one spot for sunglasses sales at Weitnauer?s Mexico City airport location.