Start of a new journey: Montblanc opens first travel retail Neo concept boutique at Heathrow T4

UK. Montblanc has officially opened its first travel retail Neo concept store, at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 in partnership with Harrods. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held last week to which The Moodie Davitt Report was invited.

The 44sq m store had its soft opening on 27 September. The boutique concept was created by renowned French designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance.

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From left to right: Montblanc Head of Travel Retail Europe Jessica Ciannarella; Heathrow Airport Head of Category – Luxury, Fashion & Media Nick Webb; Harrods Director Raj Assanand; Montblanc Director International Travel Retail Charles Langlois; and Harrods General Manager of Airports Kelly Robinson at the ribbon-cutting ceremony

It pays tribute to the Maison’s heritage in writing instruments, timepieces, leathergoods, men’s accessories and jewellery, each with its own dedicated display within the concept. Collectors can discover Montblanc’s latest collections, such as the Writers’ Edition homage to William Shakespeare.

Montblanc Director International Travel Retail Charles Langlois and Harrods Director Raj Assanand said they were delighted with sales after early trading.

Further expansion of the new Montblanc retail concept will occur in the next six months with openings at Rome Fiumicino (Avancorpo), London Gatwick and Hamburg airports, among others.

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The Neo concept is designed to enhance service quality as well as drive sales.

Langlois said the fact Harrods was a long-time partner made it the company’s first choice for the first Neo concept airport boutique.

“This year Montblanc marks its 110th anniversary and we are thrilled to introduce our new boutique in partnership with Harrods and Heathrow, a prestigious location in the heart of the newly renovated T4,” he said. “The new concept boutique invites our visitors to a journey of discovery into the heart of the Montblanc universe.”

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Langlois said the T4 boutique is designed to feature the finest of all Montblanc’s product categories and invites travellers to discover the Maison’s latest collections and innovations. These include the modern Urban Spirit leather range and details such as the RFID lining in wallets, which protects personal data.

“We are also responding to a need, in that travellers are looking to buy a gift, whether for themselves or others, and a Montblanc gift will never disappoint,” added Langlois.

After the first week of trading at the T4 store, Chinese and Middle Eastern travellers have emerged as the highest spenders, but Langlois said the store has a broad reach. “Montblanc as a fine lifestyle brand offers a great gifting opportunity whether it is for males or females and fits perfectly with its leather collection in a travel environment,” he said.

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Harrods’ Assanand was equally delighted with the store opening and said he was looking forward to continued commercial success with Montblanc. “They are a long-time valued partner and we have very ambitious plans,” he said.

Assanand added that the Neo concept fitted perfectly with Harrods’ strategy in travel retail, given its focus on people and high levels of service.

The Moodie Davitt Report recently visited Montblanc’s Hamburg headquarters to interview CEO Jerome Lambert, where he talked travel retail, territorial expansion and traditional values in an era of fast-changing technology. Click here for the full report.

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