Scandlines has been given the 2009 Nordic Travel Retail Initiative Award at this year's Nordic Travel Retail Seminar, with almost half of all votes cast going in favour of the ferry line, according to the

association.

The awards were introduced to reward retail/landlords for their innovation after duty free sales were abolished in July 1999 and to recognise those operators who have shown how the travel retail industry can gain new momentum with outstanding creativity and initiatives.

‘The whole industry benefits from these kinds of activities and that is why we want to pay tribute to what has been implemented during the last decade,’ said NTRG-Chairman Erik Thomsen when he presented the award to Purchasing Director Bjarne Raby from Scandlines.

In a statement, NTRG stated the reasons for nominating Scandlines in the first place: ‘The management of Scandlines' Travel Retail business has been extremely creative and has skillfully used every opportunity and every new idea in order to expand the business. After the abolition of the intra EU duty-free Scandlines GmbH established a floating retail sales supermarket, Border Shop, as a shore-based shop in the waters of the quay in Puttgarten (Germany) and later in Sassnitz (Germany).

‘Border Shop has proven to be one of the biggest successes in the Nordic Travel Retail business. The supermarkets are targeting Nordic consumers and during the last ten years they have continued to expand. Another of Scandlines' fantastic creations has been the ‘Shopping Club’ which presently has a stunning +110.000 members.’

Inflight Service AB – which recently won the SAS inflight contract – and Copenhagen Airports were the other nominees for the Nordic Travel Retail Initiative Award.