European Travel Retail Confederation (ETRC) Secretary General Julie Lassaigne takes the hotseat for the second edition of Travel Retail Question Time, sponsored by Nestlé International Travel Retail.

[Click below to watch the video].

Lassaigne discusses travel retail’s ‘obligation’ to tackling escalating environmental issues; the corporate and consumer revolution taking place in the fight against single-use plastic pollution as an example has been given added impetus via a recently adopted European directive that will ban a number of products from 2021.

“It’s not about what the industry can to do to make a difference, but what it shall do and has to do in order to meet demands from regulators. I don’t think retailers and brands are waiting to react on this.”

As the prospect of a no-deal Brexit edges closer, Lassaigne urges stakeholders across the supply chain ‘to be ready for all scenarios’ come the 31st October.

Should a withdrawal agreement be struck between the UK and EU before that deadline it would in theory open the door to the transition period. Had the UK departed on 31 March, the duration of that transition was planned for 20 months to conclude by the end of 2020. In the event of a deal, Lassaigne expects a similar transition scenario (20 months) to play out – although this is by no means assured.

PRESSING QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Travel Retail Question Time is a new video series that gives TRBusiness readers the chance to put their questions – whether light-hearted or controversial – to a leading executive in the DF&TR industry while it is captured on camera.

In July, readers submitted their questions, which were then shortlisted and voted on. The top five were then put to Julie Lassaigne in the above video.

As the Secretary General of ETRC, Lassaigne is at the forefront of a number of critical issues affecting the trading landscape of duty free and travel retail, including, but not limited to, aviation security, passenger rights, consumer information and alcohol and tobacco retailing.

She is a regular speaker at key industry events where she actively lobbies on behalf of the ETRC’s members and the wider DF&TR community to ensure the industry is properly represented and considered at European policy level.

Stewart Dryburgh, Nestlé International Travel Retail General Manager, tells readers below why the company believes so strongly in this new video interview format.

 You can view Part One and Part Two of the first instalment of Travel Retail Question Time featuring Dubai Duty Free Chief Operating Officer Ramesh Cidambi by clicking on the respective links.