The World Duty Free Group formally opened its smart main new 2,092sq m duty and tax free store in Heathrow’s new £2.5bn T2 building yesterday.

 

Senior executives from Heathrow Airport and World Duty Free attended the opening, which is part of Heathrow’s on-going transformation representing a £2.5bn development aimed largely at providing a new home for airlines in the Star Alliance airline group.

 

The spacious new terminal will eventually be home to 26 airlines – 23 members of the Star Alliance, as well as Aer Lingus, Germanwings and Virgin Atlantic Little Red. Airlines will move into the new terminal in phases and when it is finally fully occupied, T2 will have 332 daily flights to 54 global destinations.

The World Duty Free store is officially opened, in the presence of (LtoR) Eugenio Andrades, Chief Commercial Officer; John Holland-Kaye, CEO, Heathrow Airport; Fred Creighton, Director of Retail Operations UK, World Duty Free Group; and Brian Woodhead, Commercial Director, Heathrow Airport. [Gianmario Tondato, CEO, Autogrill – out of shot].

Known as ‘The Queen’s Terminal’, the building was designed by luis vidal + architects and took five years to complete. Within its eco-friendly interior, the main WDF store is spacious, with good sight lines, signage and clear product demarcation areas.

 

These are mostly all visible, despite the store’s horse shoe ‘U’ shape which also passes sight of all three store entrances. This ‘U’ shape has been deliberately outlined and highlight with a generously wide curved black tile walkway, which invites the customer to tour the whole store in an arc pattern.

FLEXIBLE PASSENGER FLOW DESIGN

This configuration has also been designed to be flexible, since the store size is set to virtually double when the terminal is expanded in five years time. At this point WDF will review the design and consider whether or not it should redesign the retail area for an even greater number of passengers and create a larger walk-through outlet.

 

The store also features a 27sq m ever-changing digital fascia, expressing the retailer’s World Duty Free name, accented with the travel retailer’s familiar ‘butterfly’ logo.

The very attractive 802sq m Beauty Hall featuring more than 15 customised beauty areas and a mix of 40 personalised fixtures and columns.

Commenting on the new retail development, Fred Creighton, WDFG Director of Retail Operations UK said: “When passengers come to the UK’s largest airport they expect the tax and duty free area to deliver the highest standards in terms of customer service, modern facilities, contemporary retail brands and the latest product ranges.

 

“This impressive new World Duty Free store will provide our customers with a unique shopping experience and one that is enjoyable, inspirational and accessible.

 

“This is a very exciting development for our business and enables us to showcase some of the latest thinking and approaches in travel retail”.

 

The very attractive World of Whiskies concept continues to be a real winner for WDF throughout its UK retail estate.

 

 

ONE-ON-ONE CONCIERGE DESK

World Duty Free has also introduced a prominent and dedicated World Duty Free ‘Concierge Desk’ within the store which is operated by multi-lingual staff, all of whom have been given in depth product training – on average some 300 hours – and who are also empowered to make customer-led decisions.

 

These knowledgeable ladies are also armed with computer tablets, which carry product availability, proximity and general information to impart directly to customers. They are also used to conduct various customer surveys. This technology will also be able to handle transactions remotely when the tills get very busy – as will be the case during this coming Christmas period.

 

World Duty Free said today: “Visitors to the store will be able to experience world-class service and access to the best possible advice and guidance from these expert staff at all times.

 

 

There are more than 1300 sunglasses facings within the 152sq m area, which feature 37 different brands, including the the first Gucci personalisation in a World Duty Free store.

 

 

“This will encompass services such as ‘Reserve & Collect’ for purchases, a personal shopping service within the tax and duty free store itself, and interactive screens enabling customers to see promotions and product recommendations based on their individual needs. A complimentary gift-wrapping service will also be available.

 

“The showpiece of the store is the 802sq m Beauty Hall, which delivers depth of range, product choice and unique features, with over 15 customised beauty areas and a mix of 40 personalised fixtures and columns.

 

MORE THAN 25 BEAUTY BRANDS

“Over 25 international brands are available, including classics such as Chanel, Dior, Lancôme and Estée Lauder, along with more niche brands such as Dr Sebagh, Kiehl’s, Benefit and bareMinerals. There are some newly introduced brands in the T2 store including Nars, Trussardi and Dsquared2.

 

“In keeping with the focus on customer experience and service, the beauty area offers a range of complimentary ‘express’ beauty treatments, including new make-up looks, skincare consultations, mini facials and massages. All are designed to be quick and informative, helping customers discover new products and techniques, whilst enjoying a relaxing, pre flight treatment.”

 

Debbie Ansell, Head of UK Beauty at World Duty Free Group.

Other highlights include a 154sq m retail area featuring more than 1300 sunglasses facings from 37 different brands and this are displayed utilizing new white back it fixture lighting. WDF is also showing off its first Gucci personalisation in one of its stores, plus ‘other strong personalisations for Ray-Ban and Oakley sunglasses.

 

 

Jewellery brands include Swarovski, Buckley and Martin James and a new Pandora personalisation featuring a new ‘touch and feel’ unit allowing customers to create their own bracelets. This is the first time this concept has been used outside of a ‘pop up’ store environment. Swarovski has also been given more of a ‘shop in shop’ feel with a new under counter personalisation.

 

Fourteen watch brands are also being offered in the T2 store, including some new to Heathrow from Vivienne Westwood, Marc Jacobs and Dreyfuss & Co.

 

SWEET ‘BRITISHNESS’

Meanwhile, the Confectionery area features branded units for Chupa Chups & Mentos and a branded Jelly Belly unit and ‘Destination targeting’ is said to be a key feature in the store with Cadburys a good example of this around a central pillar, highlighting a ‘sense of place’ with a focus on ‘Britishness’. This has now been revised to feature Godiva, targeting Chinese passengers in the lead up to Golden Week in October.

 

The very successful Glorious Britain souvenir concept also has 68sq m of space reflecting its familiar iconic fixtures associated with London, with floor fixtures and images featuring London buses, black cabs, red letter boxes and telephone box spinner units showing smaller souvenir items. A Big Ben ‘pillar’ also features as a centre souvenir space.

 

 

Some of WDFG’s Concierge ladies who are dedicated to helping passengers within the shop and who will also shortly have the ability to make mobile transactions with passengers in busy periods, using their tablets, which are also used for customer surveys.

 

 

Liquor is another showcase area in the new store, which includes a Destination Tasting Bar for customers to ‘try before they buy’. At the same time, a digital display fascia on the bar ‘allows brands to feature impactful and engaging panoramic or multi screen content’, says WDF.

 

Then, of course, there is the hugely successful World of Whiskies ‘shop in shop’ concept, which WDF’s Fred Creighton describes as one of his two personal favourite highlights in the store – along with the 52sq m high-resolution 24-screen Digital Feature Wall. [Both of these store features will be covered in much more depth in TRBusiness’ October issue-Ed],

 

The very attractive World of Whiskies concept continues to be a real winner for WDF throughout its UK retail estate in particular and it continues to work closely with Scotch Whisky companies on exclusive and rare product and has built an enviable customer database relating regular information to connoisseurs and lovers Scotch brands and limited special malts.

 

AN ‘IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE’

In the liquor area there is also a premium liquor area, which has been developed in cooperation with Diageo, called the ‘Connoisseur Collection’. This features premium and rare Whiskies, Cognac and wine and is designed to provide customers with an ‘immersive experience’.

 

Sue Gosling, Head of Digital Marketing, World Duty Free Group stands in front of the new state-of-the-art digital screen in the Heathrow Terminal 2 store which featured a couple of songs from boy band Collabro at the formal opening of the shop yesterday.

 

WDF also says that personalised presentations from brands such as Hendricks, Grey Goose, Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniel’s and Woodford Reserve all help to further create real focal points within the liquor category.

 

Also, not to be forgotten is the Tobacco Display Area (TDA) towards the back of the store which is a clean, simple presentation with white unit backgrounds highlighting the cigarette brand display units.

 

This area also includes a cigar humidor and dedicated till point. WDF has been a leader in creating this special TDA areas and other operators could certainly learn from its simple, understated, but effective approach to tobacco retailing.

 

Fred Creighton’s other personal highlight and an important part of the T2 store is the digital entertainment technology, which WDF Head of Digital Marketing Sue Gosling proudly describes as superior to anything the retailer has installed anywhere else to date [More of this in a future articled]. Brand partners can work with WDFG to stage innovative and experiential digital marketing and promotional activity within the store, creating excitement and customer engagement.

 

 

Nigel Sandals, Liquor Category Manager UK at World Duty Free Group, Eugenio Andrades, Chief Commercial Officer and ‘Michael the Expert’ at the World of Whiskies store.

 

SUPPORTING RETAIL OUTLETS

Within this new terminal building, WDFG also operates an Express Shop at the Security Level, a satellite store in Sat B for long-haul passengers and an Arrivals shop.

 

With its advanced and exclusive new store fascia, the retailer says it also now able to open up many new ways to display information content across several formats and languages at different times of the day when they may be particularly appropriate to this or that nationality of customer who is near or inside the store prior to their flight departure.

 

 

All together now. Heathrow Airport and World Duty Free executives pose together in front of WDF’s new state-of-the art digital screen and small stage where a boy band performed a few songs earlier as part of the opening celebrations.

 

 

In conclusion, WDF says the main 2,092sq m store breaks down into the following demarcation areas: Beauty 802sq m; Liquor 308; Luxury 154; Confectionery/Food 138; Souvenirs & Tax Free 68; and Tobacco 69. WDF also operates an Express Store of 90sq m, an arrivals area of 191sq m and a Satellite B Store or 227sq m.

 

[ED’s Note: The above report is no more than a holding story. A full report with multiple interviews from this opening will appear in TRBusiness shortly].

 

HEATHROW T2 GENERAL FACTS:

Terminal 2 will eventually serve 20m passengers a year and will be home to 23 Star Alliance airlines, as well as Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic Little Red and germanwings carriers.

• The main terminal building
• A satellite building – T2B (connected to T2A via an underground walkway)
• A 1,340 space multi-storey car park
• An energy centre
• 28 fully serviced and fuelled aircraft stands (12 at the main terminal building, 16 at the satellite)
• 60 self-service kiosks
• 60 fast bag drops – which can also be configured for traditional use
• 56 traditional check-in desks
• Check-in will be large enough to accommodate 3,000 passengers per hour
• 24 security lanes (17 for economy passengers, 4 Fast Track and 3 for staff and crew)
• Approximately 500 security officers, 30 passenger Service Ambassadors and 70 Service Team Leaders
• An average of 55,000 passengers will arrive and depart from the Terminal daily once in full operation

SUSTAINABILITY:

• 20% of T2’s energy needs are from renewable sources
• 40.5% less CO2 emissions than a building built to 2006 building regulations
• 1000 square metres of photovoltaic panels on the building’s canopy
• 12MW biomass boiler heater
• Wood used to power the boiler is sustainably sourced, FSC approved timber
• The first phase will potentially save around 13,000 tonnes of CO2 a year compared to the use of natural gas and grid electricity
• Extensive glazing means more natural light. As well as glazed walls, north-facing skylights in the roof will provide glare-free daylight without heat gain (which would mean more air conditioning)
• A sophisticated lighting control system keeps energy use down by switching lights off when parts of the building are not in use, or when daylight is bright enough
• To prevent solar heat gain, the glazed facade incorporates solar control glass and angled louvres, while an overhanging roof shades the south-facing windows
• 95% of the demolished buildings were recycled (Old T2 and the Queen’s building)
• The layout of aircraft stands at Terminal 2 means planes can taxi more efficiently to the runways, reducing ground level emissions and improving air quality. Mirroring the way buildings are arranged at Terminal 5, this is called a ‘toast rack’ layout.
• Aircraft stands will use units to supply aircraft with electricity and preconditioned air so that they don’t run auxiliary engines when stationary.

 

TRBusiness has covered the new Heathrow Terminal 2’s progress extensively over the last few years and all the background to the opening can be found at the following links:

 

http://www.trbusiness.com/index.php/regional/europe/15109-the-queen-to-officially-open-terminal-2-on-23-june.html

 

http://www.trbusiness.com/index.php/regional/europe/12412-heathrow-confirms-t2-as-new-star-alliance-home.html

 

http://www.trbusiness.com/index.php/this-week/11-featured-interview/13279-john-holland-kaye-heathrow-development-director.html

 

http://www.trbusiness.com/index.php/regional/europe/15331-london-heathrow-says-its-has-learned-lessons-from-t5-opening.html