As part of a continuous project to measure perceptions of the duty free & travel retail industry among travellers, the Duty Free World Council (DFWC) initiated a Global Shopping Monitor of duty free shopping trends in the fourth quarter of 2015.

 

DFWC is conducting the quarterly Global KPI Monitor in partnership with the respected research & consulting company m1nd-set. TRBusiness was also able to submit some exclusive questions to a similar KPI survey conducted by m1nd-set and will shortly be able to reveal the results.

 

According to the current DFWC report the most important aspect of the travel retail shopping experience for travellers is the ‘uniqueness of products and services’, followed by the ‘perceived value for money’ and the ‘variety and range of products’ on offer.

 

The current DFWC Global KPI Monitor also shows that globally 40% of the international travellers see duty free & travel retail as part of the travel experience. However, there are significant differences in traveller perceptions between the regions.

 

Another aspect covered in the DFWC Global KPI Monitor is the information on customs regulations and the impact on the actual shopping behaviour. The current report suggests that only half of international travellers feel well informed about the regulations, which has a negative impact on purchase behaviour.

 

The use of electronic devices to receive or look for information regarding duty free and travel retail shopping is also covered in the analysis; the first report indicates that today, still only a minority of travellers use electronic devices for information about shopping on the ‘sixth continent’.

 

Another area the reports will cover is the macro-economic impact on the business, linking the global economic crises and fluctuations and the duty free and travel retail business. The DFWC Global KPI Monitor will illustrate the impact of the current economic situation on the actual travel and shopping behaviour, both globally as well as in each of the regions.

 

Commenting, Frank O’Connell DFWC President said: “This is an exciting research innovation which the DFWC is delighted to bring to our industry and which over time will give industry players in every region the ability to monitor customer trends and behaviours and adjust the shopping offer accordingly.”

 

The KPI Monitor covers all key elements with regard to consumer perceptions of the DF&TR market, such as satisfaction with various aspects of the shops, product range, differentiation from the domestic channel and perceived value for money, among other topics.

 

The findings are based on interviews with over 4,000 people who have travelled internationally in the previous quarter, with the sample split per region based on industry sales figures from m1nd-set partner Generation Research.

 

Based on a formula defined by m1nd-set, a Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) is shown in the DFWC Global KPI Monitor on a global level as well as for each of the five regions covered.

 

The CSI is generated using the ratings for each respective element, analysed and weighted based on their impact on overall traveller satisfaction. The current report illustrates the findings from the first Index; future quarterly reports will show the evolution over time.

 

M1nd-set Owner & CEO Peter Mohn comments: “Working with brands, retailers, airports, airlines and the trade associations in the industry, we see a constant thirst for data and in particular recent data on duty free and travel retail shopper behaviour.

 

“This Customer Satisfaction Index will be an important and timely barometer for the duty free & travel retail industry, given both the recent and freshly collated data used to compile the reports and the frequency of their publication.

 

“The evolutional nature of the data is also a highly sought after aspect of the research demanded by stakeholders today. A one-shot spotlight doesn’t give a rounded enough picture of the reality. Companies need to evaluate trends, which this global index will allow.”

 

Mohn adds: “The quarterly monitor reports cover a vast range of data. The aim is to provide as holistic an overview as possible of the situation and its evolution by identifying the key trends and divergences between regions.

 

“Of course the quarterly reports give a good birds-eye view of these various elements and there is considerably greater detail in the full reports, which cover both the global as well as the regional results in more depth. We believe the quarterly Monitor will be a useful tool for the industry and we are delighted to provide this service to the DFWC.”

 

For more information and to find out more about the full report, contact m1nd-set at info@m1nd-set. The cost of the quarterly report is 5,000€, with the yearly subscription priced at 15,000€.