The Absolut Tabasco activation was situated within the Sporting Chance bar at Manchester Airport T3.

A first-of-its-kind hybrid F&B offering for Absolut Tabasco at Manchester Airport helped Pernod Ricard GTR to expand on the way it connects with shoppers by engaging with them outside of the traditional duty-free space. 

Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail’s (GTR’s) recent takeover for Absolut Tabasco at Manchester Airport (MAN) marked the first time in the UK that the drinks giant has brought to life a hybrid food and beverage (F&B) offering in the channel. A variety of factors converged to make it the right opportunity for such a venture.

“It made total sense to us to pair our biggest strategic investment for Absolut in GTR with the largest food and beverage concept in Avolta’s UK portfolio,” Rae Gibson, Director, Power Brands and Emerging Categories, Pernod Ricard GTR, told us in this exclusive interview.

“The opportunities presented by the 469-seater Sporting Chance bar at Manchester Airport T3 aligned perfectly with our strategy to step up, disrupt and differentiate.

“Through its iconic branding and playful ‘volcanic’ ad campaign, Absolut Tabasco enjoys incredible stand-out in an increasingly competitive environment and leans into the innovation, retail theatre, and tasting-led engagement offered at the bar’s integrated activation area. The synergies between our signature serve, the Spicy Bloody Mary, and the travel/flying ritual were also ripe for optimisation so it was a natural fit to feature this hero cocktail on the menu for the duration of the partnership (eight weeks from March to May 2026).”

Rae Gibson, Director, Power Brands and Emerging Categories, Pernod Ricard GTR at the TR Consumer Forum 2026 in Geneva.

PR GTR worked with retail partner Avolta to build a unique and engaging omnichannel experience that connects two key moments in the traveller journey: duty-free shopping and a visit to the airport bar and restaurant.

“The supporting paid media ran across CRM, digital, social media and in-store TV, leveraging Avolta’s unique shopper data and featuring Absolut’s award-winning ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ volcanlogists commercial,” she explained.

“Print collateral on the bar and tables of Sporting Chance promoted the offer to customers, while Club Avolta members were drawn in by an immersive gaming activation in the Club Avolta app. We also partnered with Uber again to target passengers en route to Manchester Airport with a series of ads to drive footfall to the bar and HPP, and redeem a special offer.”

Strong gains

The Absolut Tabasco takeover at MAN builds on the hybrid concepts PR GTR has brought to life between the Perfume & Cosmetics and Wine & Spirits categories. According to Gibson, these achieve three key things: driving cross-traffic, reaching new audiences and increasing market share.

“The industry-first collaboration between Pernod Ricard’s luxury blended Scotch, Royal Salute, and L’Oréal Paris Travel Retail saw the debut of an immersive, bar-inspired outpost at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport offering skincare consultations to mostly male passengers, while incentivising visits to the airport lounge with signature whisky cocktails using the 21 Year Old The Vintage Blend 2002 GTRX, and based on the scents of the Men Expert Age Protect Anti-Aging range,” she said.

“Co-branded displays in both Wines & Spirits and Perfumes & Cosmetics, supported by a multi-partner OOH campaign, boarding pass ads, gamification and the airport shopping concierge service helped drive footfall in both directions, ultimately reaching an average of three million travellers and increasing sell-out for both brands in excess of +35% vs. the month prior to activation.”

PR GTR worked with Avolta to build a unique and engaging omnichannel experience.

A subsequent collaboration between Lancôme and Maison Perrier-Jouët, was supported by Avolta at São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport and centred on ‘premiumisation, innovation and crafting unforgettable experiences’ across both categories.

“Marking its first foray into Brazilian travel retail, the alliance with Lancôme and intertwining of fragrance, make-up and the sampling of cuvées from the Collection Belle Epoque played a pivotal role in building brand equity and reinforcing our GTR strategy for Perrier-Jouët,” said Gibson. “It also contributed to parent company L’Oréal making the year’s strongest gains in that region, and elevated the ranking of both brands at GRU. So we know that hybrid concepts work, as long as the brand partners and retailer are aligned.”

Encouraging cross-visitation

A good lesson for anyone planning a hybrid travel retail/F&B activation is working out how to utilise traveller dwell time better, said Gibson.

Tasting-led engagement was offered at the bar’s integrated activation area.

“Alcohol shoppers are spending 1.5 hours+ airside and 96% say they’re not feeling time pressure, so when their top airport activities are shopping, relaxing and exploring F&B options it’s our job to increase value from that passenger journey by encouraging more cross-visitation,” she said.

It underscores how F&B and retail are no longer being viewed as isolated revenue streams in DF&TR but interconnected elements of the passenger journey.

“As we’ve set out, collaborations such as this make it easier for time-pressed travellers to combine three of their favourite things to do at the airport: eat, drink and shop,” said Gibson. “We know that bars/cafés are not just functional spaces in the airport, but a very important touchpoint in moving travellers – especially alcohol shoppers – towards purchase. They provide a strong moment for consideration and a useful bridge into store conversion.

“At Manchester, Avolta has proven that incorporating a travel retail activation area into its flagship bar improves brand visibility for its World Duty Free products. We absolutely expect to see, and take part, in more of these cross-category partnerships going forward.”

This feature first appeared in the June 2026 issue of TRBusiness magazine. Click here to read. 

Visit TRConsumerForum.com to find out more about the TR Consumer Forum 2026 – and our on-location reporting at TRBusiness.com

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