Today (3 November), Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail, Zegna and Global Duty Free (GDF) Plaza feature as our three Exhibitors of the Day at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo’ ‘Buyers & Brands Bonanza Month’.
To visit the Pernod Ricard virtual suite at the Expo click here (note: If you have not registered to attend the Expo, you can do so here free of charge if you are involved in the travel retail sector). For the Zegna suite click here and for GDF Plaza it is here.
As reported, ‘Buyers & Brands Bonanza Month is a November-long bonus exhibition period in which visitors have the chance to win a return business class flight to Doha from any Qatar Airways location in the world courtesy of Diamond Partner Qatar Duty Free.
The award-winning Hamad International Airport retailer is also offering weekly US$250 shopping vouchers, drawn from registrants who on any day visit the Qatar Duty Free/Hamad International Airport virtual experience zone and the suites of our Exhibitors of the Day.
Each working day of November, The Moodie Davitt Report is profiling several exhibitors, showcasing their innovations and encouraging visits to their respective virtual experience suites.
In an added bonus, registration (go to www.VirtualTRExpo.com) is complimentary from now and throughout the bonus month for anyone involved in the travel retail industry. Please note you cannot access the Expo without registration, and all delegates must first be verified as connected with the sector and are subject to qualification criteria.
The Virtual Travel Retail Expo platform has been further streamlined with a much-enhanced and speedier log-in procedure, improved video loading speeds and continued navigational improvements.
PERNOD RICARD
Leading drinks group Pernod Ricard first gained a presence in travel retail in the early 1980s and is today a leader in value creation within the channel. Its Global Travel Retail division brings together its Asia Pacific, Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa travel retail arms into one global retail hub supported by market-based businesses.
As stated by Chairman & CEO Alexandre Ricard in a compelling session at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo, Pernod Ricard (an Expo Platinum Partner) retains its firm belief in travel retail as a “must win” channel. That emphatic message comes alive in many of its investments and activities in the channel, from the announcement of its first portfolio boutique with Shenzhen Duty Free, or the introduction of what it calls an “industry-first” Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) Tool, dedicated to retail merchandising, as part of its commitment to leading the channel’s sustainable transformation.
Where: Wine, Beer & Spirits Zone
Virtual Highlights:
- Check out the Pernod Ricard Island Bar to learn more about the latest brand projects.
- You can also find a detailed profile of Pernod Ricard’s sustainability credentials (‘Good Times from a Good Place’) in the colourful Sustainability & Responsibility Sanctuary.
- Take a journey too into the Future of Retail, as seen by the brand owner, including a look at how Pernod Ricard is driving better engagement with shoppers through digitalisation, and at how it is enhancing retail experiences in a post-pandemic world.
Wayfinding (you must be registered first): https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/?exhibition_type=exhibitionpavilion&room_id=pernodricard-entrance
Knowledge Hub – Chairman & CEO Alexandre Ricard
Knowledge Hub – From Insights to Actions, Shaping the Future of Retail
https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/session/Global.html?sessionID=GB029_inspire&hide_controls=true
GDF PLAZA
Hainan Development Holdings’ Global Premium Duty Free (GDF) Plaza, which is located at the Aquarius building of the Haikou Mova Mall, is a new duty free shopping landmark in downtown Haikou, covering some 30,000sq m and featuring more than 200 international top brands across categories including fragrance, cosmetics, digital products, sunglasses and other luxury brands.
On 31 January, Hainan Development Holdings Co Ltd, a fully state-owned company of the Hainan Provincial Government, supported by leading international travel retailer Dufry, opened phase one of the Global Premium Duty Free (GDF) Plaza in Mova Mall, Haikou.
The project’s third phase, located on the first and second floors of Capricorn building, is now in the planning stages. It will focus on top global luxury brands in order to meet strong consumer demand in Hainan. In the future, GDF Plaza will be built into a new world-level duty free shopping landmark in Hainan’s international tourism consumption centre.
Where: Hainan Discovery Zone
Virtual Highlights:
- GDF Plaza is a Platinum Partner with a presence in the Hainan Discovery Zone. Across its eye-catching experience area, it is showcasing four core projects, including the GDF Plaza offshore duty free store, onshore duty free, the South China Sea Pearl Island and projects at Guoxing Avenue, Global Consumer Boutique Expo Park.
- You will also find an in-depth corporate vision and profile, with extensive video to explain its strategy.
Wayfinding (you must be registered first): https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/?exhibition_type=hainandiscovery&room_id=gdfplaza-hdentrance
Experience Arena – GDF Plaza Commercial Project Promotion
ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA
Hailed as one of Italy’s most successful family companies, Ermenegildo Zegna has, since its foundation in 1920, evolved from textile production into a worldwide luxury lifestyle group.
The company is constantly researching the highest quality products with a focus on absolute respect of the environment. Its #UseTheExisting project weaves new life into discarded materials while the company maintains its founder’s ‘green thinking’ and reforestation mission through its Oasi Zegna nature reserve in the Alps.
Established in 1993, the freely accessible nature park is regarded as the heart of the Ermenegildo Zegna brand. It covers around 100sq km between Trivero and Valle Cervo in the Biella Alps and offers visitors an educational and unexpectedly moving experience.
Where: Exhibition Pavilion – Fashion, Sunglasses and Accessories
Virtual Highlights:
- Use the Heritage and Identity button to check out Ermenegildo Zegna’s #UseTheExisting project which transforms recycled materials into lightweight shoe soles. Also highlighted is the Oasi Zegna reserve and the brand’s sustainability ethos.
- Click on Zegna Boutique Concept to view its store layout
- View the Ermenegildo Zegna Autumn/Winter 2021 collection, labelled (RESET). The collection addresses men’s changing fashion needs because of the global health crisis.
- Quick links to the brand’s global and Chinese website are available.
- Check out the Ermenegildo Zegna Instagram account, with over 4,000 posts and more than 730,000 followers.
Wayfinding: (you must be registered first) Ermenegildo Zegna virtual experience room: https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/?exhibition_type=exhibitionpavilion&room_id=zegna&hide_controls=true
Our exhibitors of the day for 2 November were China Duty Free Group and Shiseido Travel Retail. As mentioned, any Expo registrant visiting those stands goes into Qatar Duty Free & Qatar Airways prize draws.
CHINA DUTY FREE GROUP
China Duty Free Group (CDFG) is the world’s number travel retailer measured by 2020 turnover, based on The Moodie Davitt Report’s rankings of the leading industry players. CDFG has maintained that strong performance in 2021, as its latest results underline.
The state-owned company is the Exclusive Strategic Cooperation Partner for the Virtual Travel Retail Expo and has strongly embraced the all-digital concept. CDFG has created its own dedicated digital area in the Expo, called CDF City. There it showcases some of its most impressive current and planned projects and initiatives across airport, downtown, offshore duty free, overseas and digital channels.
A gateway presence to CDF City features in the Hainan Discovery zone, a key attraction at this year’s Expo, and the Retailer Emporium.
Where: CDF City (standalone virtual experience zone)
Virtual Highlights:
- Check out CDF City, the impressive digital home to China Duty Free Group’s extensive presence at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo 2021.
- There are some outstanding features, including detailed profiles of CDFG’s airport, downtown, offshore duty free, overseas and digital channels under CDF Business.
- CDF Focus outlines how the powerful travel retailer is extending its brand partnerships, strategic cooperation agreements and its latest news.
- A major highlight is CDF Hainan, with two beautiful videos that explain in visuals how CDFG views the future of trave retail, Hainan style (see also this page)
- Take a visit to the Knowledge Hub (On Demand Day 1) to hear CDFG President President Charles Chen’s inspiring address calling for “openness, communication, cooperation and innovation” between all travel retail stakeholders in exploiting the potential of the Chinese travel retail market.
- That session also features a special Outstanding Contribution Award to CDFG from The Moodie Davitt Report, in recognition of the company’s performance and its commitment to the wider industry in the darkest moments of crisis over the past 18 months.
Wayfinding (you must be registered first): https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/?exhibition_type=chinadutyfreegroup&room_id=cdfgcity
Knowledge Hub – China Duty Free Group President Charles Chen
https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/session/Global.html?sessionID=GB002_lead&hide_controls=true
These stunning videos from CDFG depict developments at the Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex (above) and Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex (the latter to open in mid-2022)
SHISEIDO TRAVEL RETAIL
Shiseido Travel Retail is reinforcing its commitment to the channel by showcasing its powerful brand portfolio with a special focus on the prestige and beauty categories.
While Shiseido Travel Retail’s Experience Room is private, the company is highlighting key launches, consumer-centric marketing strategies and market-specific plans for 2022, aligned under Shiseido Group’s WIN 2023 and Beyond strategy to key buyer partners. Highlights of its latest beauty innovations for the channel can be found here.
Virtual Highlights:
- Shiseido President, CEO & Executive Officer Masahiko Uotani featured in a standout session in the Knowledge Hub, talking to The Moodie Davitt Report Chairman Martin Moodie in a fascinating dialogue recorded on the eve of the event. (On Demand Day 1)
Wayfinding (you must be registered first):
Shiseido Travel Retail Virtual Suite Entrance: https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/?exhibition_type=exhibitionpavilion&room_id=shiseido-entrance&hide_controls=true
Knowledge Hub: Masahiko Uotani, President, CEO & Executive Officer, Shiseido
https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/session/Global.html?sessionID=GB004_lead&hide_controls=true
Our first exhibitors of the day (1 November) were Diageo Global Travel, Qatar Duty Free and One Red Kite.
DIAGEO GLOBAL TRAVEL
Diageo, owner of a glittering portfolio of brands including Baileys, Crown Royal, Gordon’s, Johnnie Walker, Lagavulin, Smirnoff, Talisker, Tanqueray, Ron Zacapa, The Singleton and many others, is playing a key thought leadership role within its Platinum Partner virtual experience suite and in the Knowledge Hub and Experience Arena sessions which are available ‘On Demand’ in the respective halls.
Where: Exhibition Pavilion – Wine, Spirits & Beer
Virtual Highlights:
- Check out the travel retail launch of Tanqueray 0.0%, an alcohol-free version of one of the world’s favourite gins, via the Diageo Discovery 2030 button inside the Diageo suite or via a great film in the Experience Arena (On Demand Day 1).
- There are some other outstanding videos too (make sure to double click at the start). Look out for Diageo Spirit of Progress & 2030 Targets, a powerful encapsulation of Diageo’s ten-year programme to create a more inclusive, responsible and sustainable world. In ‘Let’s do this’, the company pledges, “We have a vision to make the alcohol category the growth engine within a stronger travel retail industry. We will double the size of the category by 2030. We will do that through four category growth pillars of growth (Gifting, Exploration, Make the Moment, Balanced Choices).”
- Take a visit to the Knowledge Hub (On Demand Day 3) to hear Diageo Asia Pacific and Global Travel President Sam Fischer’s outstanding interview with Martin Moodie; or visit the Experience Arena and discover the majesty of the Johnnie Walker Princes Street Experience.
Wayfinding (you must be registered first): Diageo virtual suite entrance: https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/?exhibition_type=exhibitionpavilion&room_id=diageo-entrance
Experience Arena 1 – Global Travel Product Reveal: https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/session/ExperienceArena.html?sessionID=EA005_diageo_1&hide_controls=true
Experience Arena 2 – Johnnie Walker Princes Street Experience: https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/session/ExperienceArena.html?hide_controls=true&sessionID=EA010_diageo_2
Knowledge Hub – Diageo Asia Pacific and Global Travel President Sam Fischer: https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/session/Global.html?sessionID=GB023_lead&hide_controls=true
ONE RED KITE
Global travel retail service provider One Red Kite returns to the Virtual Travel Expo for the second year running. The UK-based company, founded by husband and wife team Kevin and Jilly Brocklebank, is a Gold Partner at the Expo.
One Red Kite specialises in support services – data management, recruitment and retail excellence – and aims to show potential clients the value of outsourcing tasks which could be distracting them from what they do best.
One Red Kite Founder & Managing Director Kevin Brocklebank says: “At One Red Kite, we play a vital role supporting global brands within the travel retail industry. This event is such an innovative way to enable us to showcase our services and demonstrate how we have set the standard for industry best practice. We are also delighted to have the opportunity to share our Diamond Model Recovery Plan that highlights a completely new perspective on re-engineering travel retail for the new era of ‘new normal’.”
Where: Exhibition Pavilion – Beauty & Wellbeing
Virtual Highlights:
- In an insightful and humane presentation in the Experience Arena (On Demand Day 3) themed ‘People Power – Recruiting for the Travel Retail Industry’, Jilly Brocklebank addresses how the pandemic has changed the mindsets of people in the industry. In particular, their attitudes towards employment, not least those who now find themselves out of work through no fault of their own. Brocklebank speaks of her passion for the industry and her empathy for what everyone involved with it has been through since COVID-19 struck, and how they now feel as recovery accelerates.
- “I provide a recruitment service that specialises in our industry of travel retail,” says Jilly Brocklebank in a short introductory clip in the One Red Kite virtual experience suite. “I am ultimately passionate about finding great people and great talent to join your team.”
- In a separate video, Kevin Brocklebank says, “At One Red Kite we know how to make data work really hard. We know how to analyse data from a retailer perspective and from a brand perspective – and yes they are different. Data is just one part of the story though. We can manage the existing shopper experience, store layout, space allocation, range, pricing and promotions. We are different because we don’t think category – we think whole store and we understand the interdependencies between the categories.”
Wayfinding (you must be registered first):
One Red Kite virtual experience suite: https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/?exhibition_type=exhibitionpavilion&room_id=oneredkite
Experience Arena – People Power: https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/session/ExperienceArena.html?sessionID=EA015_oneredkite&hide_controls=true
QATAR DUTY FREE & HAMAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Qatar Duty Free is the in-house retailer at Hamad International Airport, recently judged World’s Best Airport in the Skytrax Awards. The Qatar Airways-controlled retailer offers more than 40,000 square metres of combined retail and dining, making Hamad International Airport a destination in itself. And there is a lot more to come with hugely exciting commercial developments planned both in the existing terminal and the airport expansion set to open in 2022.
Where: Hamad International Airport (standalone virtual experience zone)
Virtual Highlights:
- Where do we start? Visitors can click into the impactful Hamad International Airport zone (see photo below) where they will be welcomed by Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations Thabet Musleh. They can take 360 degree tours of recent new openings, an exciting ‘coming soon’ preview and a thrilling walkthough the Hamad International Airport expansion due to open in 2022. They can also watch a rerun of exciting climax to The QDF Factor.
- Listen to the typically candid and insightful views of His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Airways Group in a riveting Q&A session with The Moodie Davitt Report Chairman Martin Moodie (On Demand Day 1).
H.E. Akbar Al Baker in conversation with Martin Moodie at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo. He underlines Qatar Airways Group’s faith in the long-term future of travel, with innovation, style and quality top of mind in the Hamad International Airport expansion set to open in 2022. Wayfinding (you must be registered first):
Qatar Duty Free virtual experience suite: https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/?exhibition_type=qatardutyfree&room_id=qatardutyfree-entrance
Knowledge Hub 1 – Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker: https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/session/Global.html?sessionID=GB008_transform&hide_controls=true
Knowledge Hub 2 – QDF Factor (the Grand Final) – https://event.virtualtrexpo.com/session/Global.html?sessionID=GB041_qdffactor&hide_controls=true
Commenting on Qatar Duty Free’s expansion, he highlights the recent opening of the luxury avenue Viale di Lusso as one of the key projects of the year in retail, as QDF celebrates 21 years in business with 21 new openings. “We want to make the experience at Qatar Duty Free second to none, and have embarked on an extension that will be completed in time for the FIFA World Cup which takes place in my country.
“We don’t just want to add shops and restaurants, we want to do it in style and quality. We want to innovate ways to promote our duty free and our airport. Our airport is a place to spend time. People come three, four, five hours ahead of time to enjoy the airport.
“You need to raise the bar. There is no relaxing from continuously improving the standards we have set, which have made us the best airport in the world. That [Skytrax] award] is a huge accolade to the dedication of our people.”
