The DFI Travel-Safe Shopping Kit contains a branded eco-friendly bag, a branded face mask, disposable gloves and antiseptic wipes. Emirates branding for illustration purposes only.

Duty Free Innovation (DFI) has created a new Travel-Safe Shopping Kit for airports and retailers that anticipates passenger sensitivities around health and safety due to the coronavirus (Covid-19).

The Swiss sustainable retail specialist is focusing on providing travellers with the much-needed reassurance they require when country-wide lockdowns end and travel resumes.

The kit contains one of DFI’s recycled hands-free shopping bags, a branded face mask, disposable gloves and a pack of sanitising wipes.

Featuring a sleeve that clutches passengers’ trolley case handles, the bag contains easy-access items that dampen the risk of cross contamination in busy shops and terminals.

The initiative meets increased consumer demand for more sustainable and environmentally conscious goods as all DFI’s bags are made from recycled ocean-bound plastic.

OPERATORS WILL HAVE DUTY OF CARE

Interest has already been received from some key airport locations as DFI aids the push towards operational recovery.

Simon Best, Spokesperson, DFI said: “The hands-free bag is designed to be used as a replacement for shopping baskets and provides each passenger with a reusable shopping bag for all their purchases on their journey.

“This will help reduce contact points in the airport, with the rest of the kit giving travellers comfort to move around and shop freely without unnecessary risk to other passengers and airport staff.”

The devastation caused to air transport twins with a rapidly emerging view that the restart – when it occurs in earnest – will necessitate fundamental changes to shopping attitudes and behaviours linked to hygiene and sanitation.

Safeguarding passengers will remain a priority when country-wide Covid-19 lockdowns are eased and air travel is resuscitated. 

The likes of Emirates with Dubai International Airport and more recently Vienna International Airport have introduced pre-flight screening procedures for the virus, while talk around empty middle seats on airlines and enhanced contact tracing technologies appears to be a prevailing discourse.

M1nd-set has already pointed out that more than three quarters (62%) of travellers will choose not to interact with shop staff at airports, illustrating that the effects of social distancing are likely to be entrenched for quite some time and certainly before a vaccine is discovered.

“Operators will have a duty of care to their passengers and these kits will help to give vital reassurance that everything is being done to care for their safety and will allow them to use the airport and shop in retail/F&B outlets as normally as possible,” continued Best. “This will both reduce levels of anxiety and risk of contamination.”

Moreover, DFI says the kits offer brands the opportunity for added exposure.

“While we anticipate the cost of these kits would be met by governments and airport authorities as part of their measures to reignite the airport economy in a safe manner, we also see that this could be a fantastic opportunity for big brands to get involved – the exposure and positive PR that the kits would generate for the brand will be phenomenal,” added Best.

For more information and sponsorship opportunities contact:  [email protected] or [email protected]

TRBusiness and Duty Free Innovation (DFI) are challenging travel retail to significantly Reduce, Re-use and Recycle plastic, by signing up to the TR Plastic Pledge here, and joining a worldwide alliance which aims to coordinate a long overdue ‘green’ movement through the Travel Retail Sustainability Forum (TRSF).

Please find links to the TRSF Facebook and Linkedin pages here. To join the conversation on Twitter use #TRSF or #TRSustainabilityForum.