“Queen of Shops” dissects travel-retail at the TFWA World Exhibition

Brand communications and retail specialist Mary Portas has warned travel retailers that customers will not be looking for “diluted and sterile” versions of high street stores at airports in the future, at the opening conference of the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes. Portas, who is creative director of Yellowdoor and presented the BBC series “Mary, Queen of Shops”, said consumers are becoming more discerning and will increasingly look for exclusivity in the shopping experience and how a brand caters for their lifestyle choices.

Portas divided travel-retail shoppers into two categories: fast-track customers who have no time and very slow-track consumers with time to spare. She cited architecture as an asset available to airport retailers that is not fully explored at the moment, and said that shops should curate spaces much like museums and galleries do.

She said: “How we spend our money and time is changing. It is less about the merchandise and more about the service and experience. Retailers will need new business models, a portfolio of concepts that they can apply to local markets and to speak in a personal way to customers.”