Lagardère Travel Retail France launches WeChat Pay at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport

FRANCE. Lagardère Travel Retail France has launched smartphone payment system WeChat Pay at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport.

The service will be available in the retailer’s 14 duty free and fashion shops there.

Added convenience: WeChat Pay has over 800 million users in China.

Lagardère Travel Retail France said it was aiming to enhance the shopping experience for Chinese passengers, noting that some five million tourists from the country are expected to visit France by 2020.

The company has already recruited Chinese sales advisors throughout its stores to help meet the needs of Chinese passengers.

“This solution is a perfect fit with our promise to offer passengers entering our shops a creative, expert service which offers a simplified and pleasant shopping experience,” said Lagardère Travel Retail France Director of Aeroboutique Shopping Operations Anne-Gaël Normand.

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport has also developed services aimed at Chinese passengers. They can access a dedicated website via the airport’s free Wi-Fi, which is also available in Mandarin. The site offers quick access to real-time flight information, transportation, information about VAT refunds as well as links to tourist sites.

In departure lounges, the airport is also providing Chinese noodles, a link to the China Daily website on shared tablets, and the Côte magazine in Chinese (‘Wan Jia’).

Airport signage has been translated into Mandarin this year, while a dedicated welcome booth is available in each terminal with an interactive Mandarin-only display point.

The airport has also provided an e-concierge service in Mandarin which can be downloaded on smartphones.

“To perfect our welcome of Chinese visitors arriving in Europe for the first time, we felt it was vitally important to improve our communication, and make their journey as fluid as possible,” said Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur Chairman Dominique Thillaud.

“Lagardère Travel Retail France’s adoption of WeChat Pay is an additional step that shows that Nice Côte d’Azur airport is now fully ready to welcome Chinese passengers arriving directly from China.”

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