UK. World Duty Free has captured the International Spirits Retailer of the Year prize at the International Spirits Challenge Awards, beating competition from a series of leading domestic market retailers. The awards ceremony was held at London’s Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel on 7 October.
World Duty Free were nominated alongside Tesco (UK); Ahold (Netherlands); Sherry-Lehmann (US) and El Corte Ingles (Spain) in the highly competitive Retailer Award category.
The Retailer Award category was introduced to the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) for the first time this year, as a way of recognising excellence in spirits retailing.
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WDF Head of Category – Liquor, Tobacco, Confectionery and Fine Foods Fraser Dunlop collects the award from host Lucy Britner, News and Website Editor for Drinks International |
Nominations in three categories – International Spirits Retailer of the Year, UK Multiple Spirits Retailer of the Year and UK Independent Spirits Retailer of the Year – were put forward by spirits suppliers, with an ISC panel of judges deciding on the winners.
John Ramsay, who is Whiskies Chairman on the ISC panel of judges, said: “I have always found World Duty Free stores offer a superb range of spirits and a staff with considerable expertise in all of the products available.”
World Duty Free CEO Mark Riches said: “Six years ago the liquor category in the travel retail business was lagging. Thanks to the fantastic relationships we have built up over the years with our liquor brand partners, we have been able to work together to rejuvenate the category in the travel retail sector by providing our customers with what they want; a diverse portfolio of spirits and wines and a constant stream of new and exclusive products, all at consistently great value.
“Heathrow Terminal 5 in particular has enabled us to showcase what can be achieved when we work in close affiliation with our brand partners.
“Being awarded the title of “˜International Spirits Retailer of the Year’ is the culmination of many years of collaborative investment in the category and hopefully marks the beginning of a new era of excellence in duty free retailing across our group.”
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