Time is running out to enter the consumer-voted Global Travel Retail Awards, with the deadline of Friday 2 June 2023 (23:59pm BST) fast approaching. 

Organised by TRBusiness and m1nd-set, the Travel Retail Awards (now in its sixth year) is the duty free and travel retail industry’s first and only consumer-voted awards programme.

There are 21 categories to enter this year (see below), including a new promotion and CSR awards lineup, with categories including Best Charity Initiative, as well as new product categories for ‘Best low-and no-alcohol product’ and ‘Best nicotine (non-combustible) product’.

The Travel Retail Awards stand out as a barometer for what shoppers are seeking in the channel. Entries are assessed by 5,000 international travelling consumers from m1nd-set’s unique database, as well as panel of influencers with a combined following of more than one million.

It costs just £275 per entry and you can submit these in minutes via our streamlined online portal at www.TravelRetailAwards.com.

NEW: Open to nominations

From 2023 onwards, the methodology for the airport, cruise, retailer and supplier awards has changed. These are now open to nominations from airports and their respective retail and commercial partners.

The panel of 5,000 consumers will review the submissions from the nominees and evaluate them based on each award category. The consumers will allocate a score to each of them using a 10-point scale (where 1 is the lowest score and 10 the highest).

The results will then be collated with the bloggers’ and vloggers’ scores, as with the product awards. The same 80:20 ratio between consumers’ and bloggers’ scores will apply to all airport and sustainable retail initiative awards as with the product awards.

Discerning consumer feedback

All entrants will receive personalised written feedback from our panel of travel influencers. This can be utilised to tailor your products, packaging, point-of-sale material or project to help optimise its success in the future – a unique aspect of the Travel Retail Awards.

All those earning the consumer seal of approval will be entitled to utilise the highly sought after ‘Voted by Shoppers’ logo on packaging, marketing materials and at the point of sale.

Research by m1nd-set has shown that almost a third (31%) of consumers are more likely to purchase a product displaying the ‘Voted by Shoppers’ winner logo. The finalists will be announced in August 2023.

Here are our top tips:

Act fast: (you can amend it later). Seize the moment and enter as soon as you can. You can always edit your entry later thanks to our ‘Review Entry’ functionality on the portal (make sure you make any final changes before the ultimate deadline of 23:59pm UTC on Friday 2 June).

Select the ‘best-fit’: Make sure you select the category that best fits your entry. If your entry links to two categories, for instance, think about which one consumers will see as the best fit. If you’re still weighing it up, we recommend you choose the award that reflects the category buyers you would most likely speak to about the product.

Make words count: In your entry, remember to use language that is easy to digest by consumers around the world. Avoid acronyms and any retail jargon that may be hard to understand outside the trade. Above all, be clear and concise while ensuring your copy can be easily understood.

Be thorough: Make every character matter and pack as much information as possible into your entry to help consumers make their assessment. Entries require 100-500 words (depending on the category). When crafting your submission, aim to connect with what matters most to consumers; put yourself in their shoes. Be sure to highlight any unique attributes to the travel/travel retail sector i.e. whether it’s a travel retail exclusive, special edition or available in a travel-friendly format.

Enhance your entry: Each awards entry can include up-to three images (the max file size per image is 3MB). We recommend using the full allowance, if possible. It provides consumers with a fantastic visual aid when evaluating your entry. Ensure that your images are of a good quality and (if text is included on the image) avoid adding small text that may be difficult to read.

Maximise your chances: With some strategic thinking, you can submit as many individual entries as possible, in the relevant categories, to increase the odds of winning. For example, if you have a fantastic product that is also linked to a charity initiative, you may want to enter the relevant product award and our new ‘Best charity initiative’ promotion & CSR award.

The finalists will be announced in August 2023. Please see below for a recap on the categories. TRBusiness wishes all entrants the best of luck!

Product Awards

Please CLICK HERE to enter any of the product award categories listed below. 

Best children’s product

Best confectionery and fine foods product

Best electronics product sponsored by WithIT

Best fashion & accessories product (including luggage & leather goods)

Best fragrance product

Best make-up product

Best skincare, haircare, bath and body product

Best spirits product

Best low-and no-alcohol product

Best nicotine (non-combustible) product

Best sunglasses/eyewear product

Best travel accessory

Best watches & jewellery product

Best wines product

Best sustainable product

Promotion & CSR Awards

Please CLICK HERE to enter any of the award categories listed below. 

These awards are now open to entries from airports and their respective retail and commercial partners. We welcome stakeholders from all channels to submit entries with the added ability to provide written feedback (500 words maximum) and up to three images for consumers’ evaluation. This new entry process guarantees shoppers gain a deeper understanding of your ambitions and achievements before they provide their scores.

Best Retailer and Supplier Promotion sponsored by E.Gluck

Riding high on orchestrating a brilliant promotion in the channel? We invite retailers and suppliers to submit their best case studies to be in with a chance of winning this category.

Best airport commercial promotion

Got an airport commercial promotion you want to shout about? 

Best cruise and supplier promotion

This category is especially designed to highlight promotions in the cruise sector. 

Best charity initiative

Want to shine a light on the ways in which you are supporting worthy charities through your activities in the duty free and travel retail industry? Then this award is just for you. 

Best airport/cruise/retailer sustainable initiative

Calling all airports, cruise companies and retailers! We want to know about your sustainable initiatives that are making an impact. 

Best diversity and inclusion initiative

Showcase you commitment to diversity and inclusion by telling consumers about your key initiatives that are being brought to the fore.

Consumers will be asked to evaluate your entry/entries based on the following criteria:

Promotional initiatives:

1. The overall design of this promotion.
2. The promotion’s uniqueness.
3. Their likelihood to find out more about the promotion.
4. Their likelihood to make a purchase if they saw this promotion.

Charity/sustainability and D&I categories:

1. The impact this initiative has on them personally.
2. The initiatives ethical/social/environmental impact.
3. The initiatives likelihood to make them find out more.
4. This positive impact this initiative has on their overall impression of the company.

Finally, save the date for the Travel Retail Awards ceremony will take place on 3 October 2023 at Hôtel Martinez in Cannes.

To find out more about the 2023 Travel Retail Awards and to enter today, please visit travelretailawards.com

Thank you to our event partners.