Lagardère Travel Retail has taken a decisive step in furthering its sustainability and corporate social responsibility objectives after inaugurating the first eco-conscious Aelia Duty Free shop today (3 March) at Geneva International Airport in Switzerland.

Executed in partnership with the airport, the pilot store in the new East Wing prioritises circularity from the materials used for the fit-out to the merchandising offer in a concerted nod to consumer’s heightened demands for transparent and ethical retailing.

The new shop, housed within the €610 million environmentally advanced East Wing, punctuates the Paris-headquartered group’s four-pillared CSR strategy, ‘Planet. Ethics. People. Social’ (PEPS), introduced in 2019, by driving consumer-facing initiatives at the point of sale.

TRBusiness joined executives from Lagardère Travel Retail, Geneva Airport and other trade media in Geneva for the unveiling, with further detail and commentary to follow.

André Schneider, CEO, Geneva Airport. Source: GVA.

‘WE CARE, WE DO’

The ‘We Care, We Do’ approach echoes consumers’ demands for a more transparent and sustainable selection of products, with Lagardère Travel Retail working with recognised and independent labels and certifications.

According to Lagardère, this is the  first step in a long-term commitment integrated within the group’s CSR commitments to ensure the products sold echo consumers’ conscious shopping behaviours.

Furniture and POS materials are tilted towards a 40% reduction in their carbon footprint, made possible by a partnership with specialised French manufacturer Media 6.

The company’s Eco-logic carbon calculator uses a lifecycle based on the three ‘Rs’ (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) to address the store’s resource efficiency and waste management.

As a result, the partners have significantly reduced the amount of raw materials, instead opting for metal and certified wood that are easier to recycle.

A pop-up has been developed in partnership with the United Nations’ Perception Change Project to raise passengers’ awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Pascal le Droff, CEO, Lagardère Travel Retail Switzerland, said: “Lagardère Travel Retail Switzerland is proud to share this ambitious and innovative commercial project, carried out in perfect collaboration with the airport teams and Lagardère Travel Retail’s local and central teams.

“Our eco-responsible store and its environmental and ethical engagement create a lot of enthusiasm, which goes beyond just a new duty free store opening. Finally, I would like to thank all people who have contributed to this opening, which symbolises our commitment to sustainable development.”

André Schneider, CEO, Geneva International Airport, added: “We are happy to have found in Lagardère Travel Retail Switzerland like-minded partners who are equally committed to deliver a sense of responsibility and purpose to passengers at Geneva Airport.

“Our efforts to create the airport’s East Wing to become a high energy performance building sets high standards across the aviation industry and we are proud to see these translated into the commercial offer. Through close collaboration and shared values we have been able to develop a pioneering store which is the perfect example of how our industry can play its part in creating a more sustainable future.”