The Dufry-Autogrill combined entity unveiled today (2 October) a new corporate fascia that synergises the travel retail and F&B businesses.

Dubbed ‘Avolta’, the new brand identity reflects a more diversified and resilient company while concentrating on its long-term vision of ‘putting the travellers’ needs at its core’, confirmed a statement.

The Avolta brand will lead all internal and external communications, with all corporate brands of the former Dufry and Autogrill Group moving to the Avolta brand family.

Consumer-facing brands, like Dufry, Autogrill, World Duty Free and Hudson, to name a few, will continue to operate as previously.

Dufry will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to ask its shareholders to approve Avolta as the new company name for the holding entity.

Avolta: Ushering in a new era

It ushers in a new era for the recently completed business combination, which operates across more than 75 countries and 1,200 locations with 5,500 points of sale across three segments – duty free, travel convenience & essentials, food & beverage at airports, motorways, cruises, railways and other channels.

Avolta’s diversification provides stability, resilience, lowers susceptibility to macroeconomic impacts, while sustainably improving profitability and cashflow, insists the company.

By launching a consistent name across its brands, Avolta contributes towards the Destination 2027 strategy and can leverage benefits from the Group while offering a new home for the cultures and brand identities it represents.

The company adds that it continues to create value for its stakeholders by ‘transforming the traveller journey to be as rewarding as the destination’.

Xavier Rossinyol, CEO, said: “We see a great opportunity emerging from the changing traveller and customer expectations and their boosted appetite to travel. Our Destination 2027 strategy set our ambition to create a travel experience revolution, and Avolta is the vessel that will help us navigate this journey with success.

“Avolta encapsulates our expanded vision and commitment to innovating the traveller-centred experience with enhanced digital engagement.

“With Avolta we are more than ever one team, visually and operationally unified. Avolta translates our strategy into a common brand identity, reflecting our travellers’ needs and putting them at the centre of our focus and initiatives. Avolta stands for smart stores and advanced entertainment, digitalisation and omni-channel, hospitality and culinary, and the ultimate combination of the businesses.

“We are Avolta, and we are a unique, resilient and highly diversified company – with the aim to deliver reliable results for our shareholders and stakeholders. After many months of working on this beautiful brand together with our team, we are so happy to finally share it with the world. The travel experience revolution is in motion – Journey On!”

The derivation of Avolta is from ‘vol’ the Latin word ‘to fly’, underscoring the company’s airport heritage and ambitions to soar high.

In Italian, it means ‘from time to time’, indicating the ability to transcend borders and time zones in a nod to its Mediterranean heritage.

Stay close to TRBusiness.com for more on Avolta.