Dufry CEO Julián Díaz says the company is striving to become very efficient in its digital retailing trajectory.

The Dufry Group will focus significant resources into introducing and extending its digital footprint in the coming year as it seeks to build on the rollout of its E-Motion platform.

Unveiled in March, E-Motion aims to facilitate a 360-degree digital and physical travel retail experience via loyalty programmes, social media, staff engagement and reserve and collect.

During a conference call on Dufry’s H1 results announced earlier today, Dufry Group CEO Julián Díaz stressed digitalisation as one of the most important elements aside like-for-like growth in driving efficiencies for the company.

He said Dufry ‘is striving to become a very efficient company in terms of digital’, adding: “To develop the business we need a very solid technological platform. In the first and second part of 2019 we are building the platform to maximise the digitalisation of dufry.”

Dufry’s ‘New Generation’ store at Cancún Airport T4 covers approximately 1,900sq m.

RESERVE & COLLECT BONUS

Dufry was not able to disclose more specifics on the effect the new E-Motion strategy has had on spend per pax to date when asked by TRBusiness.

However, it says it has seen a 10% increase in penetration in some locations where Click and Collect has been implemented.

Díaz comments that customer interaction with staff – an important element of E-Motion – has the potential to lift spend per pax two-fold, with digitalisation a contributory factor.

Dufry’s digital strategy includes Reserve & Collect (e-commerce), RED by Dufry (loyalty programme), social media channels and its New Generation stores (including self-checkout options).

In 2017, New Generation airport stores opened at Melbourne, Madrid, Cancun T4 and Zurich.

London Heathrow opened its New Generation store at Q1 this year, with Cancun T3 planned this year and Buenos Aires and Amman set to follow in 2019.

Reserve & Collect is now present in over 20 countries and Dufry is planning to further increase its catalogue relevance, value proposition and user experience.

Meanwhile, loyalty programme Dufry Red is present in 32 countries with a global rollout plan currently underway.

For further insight on Dufry’s H1 results, click here.