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INTERNATIONAL. Landlords, retailers and suppliers worldwide have expressed concern about the image consumers have of travel-retail
Features
Alpha Retail's Scotch whisky business has traditionally concentrated on achieving large volumes of standard blends. But now the UK operator wants to educate its customers to trade up. Joe Bates talks to liquor, tobacco and confectionery buyer Martin Bowley.
Duty Free Philippines' decision to hand over the supply and management of its liquor business to Colombo Management Hong Kong (CMH) caused a national controversy when it was announced last year. Robert Colombo, CMH president and duty-free veteran, sets the record straight for Joe Bates.
Sky Connection hopes its ambitious programme of retail refurbishment at Hong Kong International airport marks a fresh start for one of Asia/Pacific's most important travel retailers. Director of merchandising and buying Simon Au talks to Joe Bates.
The sale of licensed children's products has added big business for retailers in recent years. But taking on the trading licence for a popular character from a film or book isn't necessarily a passport to success in duty-free, as Lorna Strickland reports.
Duty-free is one of the fastest growing sectors for toy group Hasbro, says business account manager Keith Coveney.
Lorna Strickland talks to him about prospects for growth
and building brands in this challenging market.
In a key survey on the eve of this month's Global Travel Retail Summit in Amsterdam, DFNI asks whether the industry is in danger of forgetting the importance of the one vital element that makes it tick.
This year could see the beginning of a recovery in the once-powerful cognac category. Growth in a number of emerging travel-retail markets is cause for cautious optimism, writes Joe Bates.
Retail News Analysis
UK. World Duty Free has capitalised on rising traffic at BAA's UK airports over the past year and is poised to take advantage of a recovery in long-haul traffic and continued growth in the low-cost market
MALAYSIA. The inflight arm of Malaysia Airlines, MAS Golden Boutique, has posted an increase in sales of 38% for the nine months to March 2004, according to the division's head Raja Nordiana Zainal Shah.
ITALY. Any sale of Italian travel services group Autogrill will include airport retailer HMSHost, majority shareholder Edizione Holding has confirmed. Edizione is the holding company of family firm Benetton
CHINA. A study by Morgan Stanley Research concludes that Hong Kong will continue to be a far more lucrative market than mainland China for luxury brands for the next five years
US. Members of the International Association of Airport Duty Free Stores have drawn up recommendations for reducing the bureaucratic burden placed on its members by Customs procedures
SINGAPORE. King Power Hong Kong and Dufry Singapore have ousted incumbent operator Swizzle to win the terminal two chocolate, candy and delicatessen tenders at Singapore Changi airport
INTERNATIONAL. A revival in tourism at popular Asian locations helped DFS Group to post a rise in US dollar sales in the first quarter of 2004, said parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton last week
CANADA. Aer Rianta International-North America (ARI-NA) is making plans for expanded space at Montreal Dorval airport, where a new international wing is due to open in June 2005
The timing of the Global Travel Retail Summit (April 18-20) in Amsterdam, with the focus firmly on the travelling consumer, could not be more appropriate
ARUBA. Aruba Airport Authority and Schiphol Group have formed a partnership to drive commercial activities and operations at Queen Beatrix airport in the Netherlands Antilles
US. Los Angeles International airport has cancelled its forthcoming specialist tenders after losing more retail outlets to make way for bigger security checkpoints
EUROPE. A new organisation to defend and promote the interests of the European travel-retail and duty-free industry, to be called the European Travel Retail Council, will be launched on July 1
THAILAND. King Power International Group (Thailand) has gained a 10-year extension to its duty-free contract at Thailand's international airports
SOUTH KOREA. Hotel Shilla is undertaking the first big renovation of its flagship Seoul store since it opened 17 years ago, a move that will double the space allocated to cosmetics and introduce other changes to the store's layout
King Power promotes Whelan; Alternative event puts Abu Dhabi on the golfing map
Liquor & Wines
Courvoisier, the 170-year old cognac brand, has launched a line of luxury men's and women's apparel in an effort to turn itself into an upmarket lifestyle brand
Wealthy Russian travellers are becoming a serious challenger to the Chinese as the next big duty-free cognac purchasing nationality, DFNI can reveal
Baileys, the best-selling liqueur in duty-free, is to have a new bottle and packaging design this summer
Alpha Retail has launched a month-long educational programme at its UK airport stores to tempt customers to trade up to malt whisky
Colombo Management Hong Kong has called on liquor suppliers to support its effort to raise liquor retailing standards at Duty Free Philippines? stores at Manila Ninoy Aquino International airport and downtown Manila
Rémy Martin has introduced new packaging for two of its premium cognac lines, Rémy Martin XO Premier Cru and Rémy Martin Extra
The European Commission wants to scrap existing duty-paid shopping limits within the European Union because they contravene the concept of the single market
Independent drinks supplier First Drinks Brands is entering a partnership with Cecil MacDonald in an effort to drive sales of Stolichnaya, De Kuyper, Warninks, Disaronno and Mateus Rosé in UK travel-retail channels
Tobacco Products
Cigar supplier Habanos has launched new variations in its San Cristóbal de la Habana range
Philip Morris International has reportedly offered the European Union $1bn in an effort to avoid legal action over smuggling
Kiev Boryspil airport retailer Kievrianta has reported improved cigar sales following the refurbishment of its Kyiv Duty Free store
JT International (JTI) has expanded its luxury cigarette offer with the launch of its new Yves Saint Laurent range
Fragrances
Kappé International chairman Jacques Parson has predicted brand cannibalisation in the summer fragrance market this year as a flood of new entrants hits the market
Diana de Silva is eyeing Chile and Brazil for its next steps in south America
LVMH brand Perfumes Loewe is to build its presence in duty-free by expanding into Latin America this year, with the emphasis on Argentina, Brazil and Mexico
Italian beauty house EuroItalia will roll out its latest women's fragrance from Moschino in June in south America, Asia and the Middle East
Fragrance brand New Ai is planning to take its brand to the Australian travel-retail market in a bid to expand its customer base
The launch of Eau des Merveilles and a number of travel-retail exclusive sets are among the initiatives that will drive travel-retail sales growth, forecast to be 20%, at Hermès Parfums this year
Cosmetics
Micys Company-owned Pupa unveiled an array of new products at the Cosmoprof exhibition earlier this month
Versace is to refresh its cosmetics merchandising units over the next six months in a bid to improve sales by 20-30%
Italian cosmetics brand Aquolina plans to make its first foray outside the Italian duty-free market at Amsterdam Schiphol airport next month, according to brand owner Selectiva marketing manager Antonella Pascale
The inflight market is set to be instrumental in the growth of Eurocosmesi brand Transvital, which already has a presence onboard two airlines including KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Jaguar Woman from Parfums de Paris is set to pounce on the skincare market with a new women's bath line
Stila introduces travel-retail twin sets; Lancôme launches Hypnose mascara; Weruska & Joel unveils its first suncare line; Pureneige partners Air Supplies with skincare range for Air Malta
Confectionery & Fine Foods
Neuhaus has opened a new-look flagship store in downtown Hong Kong that could have potential as an airport concept
Group Delaviuda's turrón specialist El Almendro has been forced to switch almond suppliers, but is pressing ahead with an expansion programme that will include the appointment of distributors in Malaysia and China and the launch of between five and 10 new lines for Cannes this autumn
Trapa, one of Spain's leading confectionery companies, is ready to increase its travel-retail presence outside the country's airports and is following up conversations with potential UK agents and distributors that it met at the recent Food Expo show in Birmingham
Nestlé International Travel Retail general manager Stewart Dryburgh toasted "the positive mood in the industry" after shipping over 1,000 tonnes of product for the first time in a calendar month in March
Belgian Sky Shops subsidiary The Chocolate Company has provided Brussels specialist food company New Tree with a duty-free breakthrough by listing a range of tablets marketed under a "pleasure and health" banner
Gifts & Electronics
A recent study conducted in the US by the Consumer Electronics Association has shown that women's attitudes towards electronics are changing
Children's doll Sindy, first launched in 1963, has been redesigned as a smaller doll aimed at younger children
German electronics company New Tech Products has unveiled its latest products for the year ahead
Dutch national carrier KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has announced it will be expanding its inflight electronics offer
Danish toy company Lego has launched two products exclusively for the inflight market
US electronics company Chips is confident that its latest gadget will be a hit for both adults and children
Jewellery & Watches
Vienna-based enamel jeweller Frey Wille is keen to increase its presence throughout Asia/Pacific, particularly in Tokyo and South Korea, following a satisfactory end to 2003, according to owner Dr Friedrich Wille
Sunstone has revealed an excellent response from buyers to its first visit to the Duty Free Show of the Americas
Travel-retail gift supplier Zero Group will be exhibiting its range of jewellery at the TFWA Asia Pacific show in Singapore
Watch supplier Raymond Weil is to concentrate on the women's market at this year's Baselworld watch and jewellery show
Fashion & Leathergoods
Department store group Stockmann is to open its first fashion outlet in the travel-retail arena this autumn at Helsinki-Vantaa International airport
Luxottica Group hopes to strengthen the image of its Ray-Ban brand in the US with a $5m TV and cinema advertising campaign that will also include four Spanish language channels in the Miami area
Sports shoe and apparel company Nike is opening its first airport store in continental Europe this month, and the first with a new in-store design
UK fashion group Ted Baker has opened its third UK airport store at London Stansted. The airport is the UK's fourth largest, with 18.7m passengers last year.
