Blueprint Partner Thomas Kaneko Henningsen (above) underlined the need for industry transformation.

Blueprint has released a new white paper, ‘Inconvenient Predictions’, examining the long-term trends reshaping travel retail – and the implications for airports, retailers and brands.

Developed over an 18-month period, the report draws on published data, industry analysis, and Blueprint’s experience working with more than 70 travel retail companies across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America since 2016.

Blueprint Partner Thomas Kaneko Henningsen commented: “Inconvenient Predictions addresses how megatrends are transforming travel retail by exploring scenarios and based on these develop actionable insights. It is designed as a future-friendly dialogue tool that leverages critical thinking, real-word cases and consumer-centric perspective.

“The risk facing travel retail is the attachment to yesterday’s success model,” Henningsen added. “The current model deserves credit for being highly resilient. But I truly believe that the industry’s biggest commercial opportunity in the coming years is to stay relevant and that will require transformation.”

The white paper focuses on six key trends that Blueprint believes will shape the future of the industry – Gen Z consumers, artificial intelligence, experiential retail, social commerce, conscious consumerism and geopolitics – alongside broader aviation trends and forecasts, and the corresponding infrastructure investment requirements.

The report also highlights the rise of ‘Sense of Belonging’ as a new commercial opportunity. In addition, it points to growing consumer interest in sustainability, with younger shoppers increasingly favouring brands and retailers whose environmental and social values align with their own.

Inconvenient Predictions is available as a research report, presentation, masterclass, webinar and conference keynote through Blueprint.

– Henningsen will be participating in an Over to You – Live session on 3 July, at this week’s TR Consumer Forum in Geneva.

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