World Duty Free secures exclusive deal with Victoria's Secret Beauty

Kevin Rozario

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Products from the lingerie brand's sister company will be available outside the US for the first time at WDF's key UK locations

UK airport retailer World Duty Free (WDF) last night announced it would bring US company Victoria's Secret Beauty to its key UK airport retail locations in a deal that will be exclusive and on an indefinite basis, but will not include lingerie or apparel. Products will be available from December in time for the peak Christmas period.

The agreement is a coup for the retail arm of UK airport operator BAA, as it means that the $850m Victoria's Secret Beauty brand will only be available at WDF outlets anywhere outside the US.

Victoria's Secret Beauty chief operating office Jill Granoff commented: "This first step outside the US has been a carefully considered decision. We deliberated long and hard about the best launch pad to test the international appeal of our brands. We see the $5bn global travel-retail beauty market as untapped for us and WDF as an obvious choice as our inaugural partner." WDF's fragrance expertise claims a 20% market share in the UK.

Seven locations have been selected for Victoria's Secret Beauty within WDF's perfumery floors. London Heathrow Terminals 1 and 3 and London Gatwick South will have 150sq ft (14sq m) 'focus' positions that will be customised, according to vice-president of new business development Sandra Heppenheimer, and the remaining locations will be at Gatwick North and Stansted.

World Duty Free managing director Mark Riches said: "Victoria's Secret is an iconic brand. The US public understand it and shop for it like crazy. We have a number of other iconic brands and this one was at the top of our wish list of brands we wanted to have but didn't already. This is the beginning of what I think will be a defining moment in beauty retailing in this country." Riches has earmarked beauty as a primary growth category for WDF and estimates that annual sales to November will reach £200m ($357m).

Products available will include eight fragrance collections and gift items including the Very Sexy master brand franchise, Breathless, Pink, Dream Angels and Body by Victoria.