Alpha Retail integrates purchasing for inflight business

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The operator has combined its airport and airline buying teams in a bid "to move closer to the customer", says managing director David King

Effective from May 1, Alpha Retail's buying team will handle purchasing for Alpha Inflight Retail as well as the company's airport retail arm. According to Alpha, this will allow the inflight arm to ?focus on the development of existing and new airline businesses, including product ranging, communications, promotions, new media and crew support?.

Existing purchase agreements with suppliers will be honoured for the summer programmes (April/May to October/November). In the meantime, the Alpha Retail buying team will be contacting new and potential suppliers to review terms and product proposals for the winter programme.

Alpha Retail managing director David King told TRW: ?In February this year we moved responsibility for Alpha Inflight from our flight services division to our retail division. Given that move, it makes sense for us to combine buying for both channels. The two divisions are based in the same office and many suppliers who meet the Alpha Retail team also come to meet the Inflight team. It's all part of our ethos to move closer to the customer and that's what the inflight team will concentrate on going forward.?

He added: ?We have specific teams at Alpha Retail for liquor/tobacco, for beauty and for gifting and they will take on the relevant categories for inflight too. So, we get the marketing brief from the team that works with the airlines. Max Williams, who liaises with the airlines for example, will agree the brief with the airlines, forward it on to us and the team here will go out and source the product for that programme. So the buying team are very much service providers for the inflight team. The existing team at inflight will work much more on the sales side, dealing with the customer. We want to share services internally where that's appropriate.?