Higher sales, greater sales penetration and innovation are the three targets for British Airways' inflight duty free programme, according to Inflight Services' Retail Business Manager Richard Cushing.

He says the programme has had an eventful year in 2006, including the full implementation of its new onboard Barplus computer system: ‘It allows us greater flexibility in how we manage the product range, both in terms of loadings by region and promotional activity,’ said Cushing.

Last year also saw the first full year of trading using the High Life Shop! brochure, which BA launched back in July 2005. Cushing said that the new-style magazine has been well received, with 'a marked impact' on sales.

‘We changed the style of photography and text as well as introducing relevant articles and editorials that support the overall offer. We have seen a 9% improvement in our customer?s acceptance of the brochure which we regard as part of their entertainment, which we are very pleased with,’ he said.

He added that BA – which is generally credited with significant annual inflight sales around the $100m level – has also introduced mail order on all short-haul routes and plans to introduce this to long haul in the near future: ‘We will further develop the internet site as a means of promoting and communicating In-flight Retail to BA passengers.

‘We now have a growing revenue stream from the internet and from mail order, which we plan to develop further. There will be more exciting developments with the internet site over the coming months.

‘We are exceptionally happy with revenue growth which year-on-year is in double-digit figures.’

Cushing added that product choice is also a big factor in BA's onboard offer today: ‘We have two catalogues called Highlife Shop!, Short-Haul and Long-Haul. Each are changed six times per year to reflect the seasonal changes and market movements. The Long-haul brochure for March/April will contain 220 products, Short haul 150 products.’

Cushing said it would be wrong to single out any particular products as best performers, but he reiterated that overall sales did perform well in 2006: ‘Year on year the complete range has been doing very well, both on long haul and short haul and as stated has achieved like-for-like double-digit growth.

‘The main areas of growth have been in electricals, jewellery, watches and skincare – all of which reflect a change in buying habits away from the more traditional categories.’

(A more detailed interview with Richard Cushing appears in the February/March issue of The Travel Retail Business' Top 10 Airlines' report, which is published this week).