Tourvest unveils first phase of new UK retail fulfilment centre

Tourvest retail fulfilment centre Feltham

The UK facility aims to set a new standard for airline retail fulfilment.

Tourvest Retail & Catering has officially launched phase one of its new retail fulfilment centre in Feltham, UK, in line with its objective of setting a new benchmark for onboard retail logistics and e-commerce fulfilment in the airline industry.

The Feltham centre combines smart automation with agile processes to deliver efficient, reliable fulfilment. Supporting trolley packing, home delivery, e- commerce and drop-shipping, it enables airlines and suppliers to connect with customers quickly and accurately.

The facility has been designed to offer dynamic, accurate, and personalised service while future-proofing operations for years to come.

Key benefits include cost efficiency achieved through optimised operations and real-time data, alongside enhanced risk resilience. The new centre also offers advanced automated stock management, in addition to a commercial advantage gained through alignment with retail agreements that promote savings and growth.

“Today isn’t just about opening a new facility, it’s about setting a new standard for airline retail fulfilment,” noted Tourvest COO Paul Murphy. “Our Feltham Centre gives airlines the tools to improve customer experience, streamline onboard retail, and build towards the next generation of e-commerce and home delivery.”

London City Airport and BA raise £12,000 for Mind with Runway Run

London City Airport charity Runway Run Mind

Over 400 participants raced along the runway in support of mental health charity Mind.

On 11 October London City Airport partnered with British Airways to host a one-of-a-kind Runway Run. The event gave over 400 colleagues the opportunity to race along the airport’s runway in support of Mind, the national mental health charity.

Participants from both organisations took on distances ranging from 3km to 10km, raising awareness for mental health and generating £12,000 (US$16,000) for Mind.

The event coincided with World Mental Health Day, on 10 October. A family-friendly occasion, the run welcomed participants of all ages – the youngest was under six months old.

British Airways’ Wellbeing Ambassador, Joe Wicks, joined the event to lead the warm-up, meet colleagues, and cheer on participants as they set off down the runway.

Attendees included British Airways and London City Airport colleagues from across the businesses – including engineers, cabin crew, aircraft operations, and office-based teams – as well as members of the leadership team.

London City Airport CEO Alison FitzGerald commented: “We’re incredibly proud of our colleagues and partners for coming together to support Mind. The energy, generosity and team spirit on the day truly reflected our shared commitment to making a positive difference for mental health.”

London City Airport Runway Run for Mind with Joe Wicks

British Airways’ Wellbeing Ambassador, Joe Wicks, joined the event to lead the warm-up and inspire the runners.

British Airways Business Professional Apprentice Keira Gray, who helped organise the event, added: “I’m immensely proud of my fellow Business Professional Apprentices who came together to turn this ambitious fundraising idea into reality. Mental health affects us all, and seeing so many colleagues from across British Airways and London City Airport unite for this cause was truly moving.”

Mind provides information to people experiencing mental health problems and support via helplines and local support groups across England and Wales. The charity also raises awareness, fights stigma and campaigns for improved mental health services and rights.

Rudolph Lohmeyer at TFWA: ‘We are in a moment of profound disorder’

Lohmeyer: “The worst thing you can do is be passive and stand still.”

Given the theme of this year’s TFWA Conference, ‘Explore New Horizons, ’ the Monday keynote presentation from Rudolph Lohmeyer, Partner at management consultancy Kearney and head of its National Transformations Institute, was on point.

As a global thinker and former Senior Advisor for Long-Term Strategic Planning at the US Department of State, Lohmeyer provided a sobering and cerebral assessment of the current geopolitical and economic state of affairs.

“We’re in a moment of profound disorder… with headwinds and tailwinds colliding… and moments of intense pressure,” he said.

In a well-constructed address, Lohmeyer explored multiple factors affecting business, from trade and investment to statecraft – examining topics ranging from tariffs and increasingly security-driven government policies worldwide, to how alliances are fracturing along geopolitical lines, leading to fragmented markets.

Cyber attacks at airports across Europe and drone incursions into Poland, Denmark, and Lithuania have already heightened security concerns and are reshaping the global landscape. And for industries that have long relied on open, fair, cross-border movement – including travel retail – shifting tariff policies, as well as institutions themselves being deliberately disrupted, driven by actors including the US, are presenting new challenges.

While trade continues to grow, patterns are changing on geopolitical and inter-regional lines. This may not last forever, but it still needs to be navigated.

Inter-regional trade is slowing, and regional trade is deepening.

Not all doom and gloom

At the same time, Lohmeyer cited changes that were bringing positive outcomes. Breakthroughs in gene therapy have shown to slow Huntington’s disease significantly, and IBM and HSBC are offering empirical evidence for the potential value of current quantum computers for solving real-world problems in algorithmic bond trading.

In all the flux, Lohmeyer said that there are intense pressures to adapt at a critical juncture in global affairs. Not all of this is new. He said that shifts in alliance structures have been taking place since 2008 and that countries are not investing solely in specific relationships, but in overlays.

In this “messy” scenario, unexpected markets such as India, which straddle rival blocs that are increasingly separated from each other, could be a bridge in an era where brinkmanship might otherwise drive conflict cascades. Developing economies are also in a better position to ride out issues of replacement rate and falling births that plague advanced economies, which have the added burden of high costs of ageing populations.

Nevertheless, Lohmeyer said he was guardedly optimistic for three reasons. Despite the breakdown of institutional structures, around the world, including Africa, “we are seeing bold institutional innovation”.

Secondly, technological advances offer huge potential for transformation. “They could drive divergence, but if we can find ways to disseminate (those advances) and make them more widely available to empower individuals, even Africa would be finally in a position to deliver on its economic potential,” he said.

Passivity ‘a recipe for losing’

The third reason for optimism is that “we have always needed a breakdown of one institutional structure before building a new one”. And we are witnessing that right now.

“At this window in time, the worst thing you can do is be passive and stand still,” Lohmeyer said. “That is a recipe for losing and being left behind.”

He added: “It is a time for analytically grounded bold bets, understanding what you do and understanding where you can place a bet that could be decisive, calibrating it against your portfolio, and then taking action.”

Tourvest secures onboard retail services agreement with Virgin Atlantic

Tourvest Retail and Catering has announced a new partnership with Virgin Atlantic to deliver onboard duty free retail products and services. The agreement also includes warehousing and logistics operations, which will be managed from Tourvest’s newly launched Fulfilment Centre in Feltham.

Bethan Lynch, Vice President of Customer Journeys at Virgin Atlantic, said: “We’re excited to be teaming up with Tourvest to take our retail offering to the next level. Together we’ll bring fresh ideas and smarter ways of working to offer an elevated experience to our customers.”

Clive Jones, CEO of Tourvest Retail and Catering, added: “We are proud to be associated with the Virgin brand and excited by this journey we are about to embark upon together. This marks a significant milestone in Tourvest’s strategy, through the insourcing of the fulfilment component, together with the introduction of much-needed innovation in this area.”

This strategic collaboration reflects both companies’ commitment to enhancing the onboard experience through innovation, efficiency, and customer-centric service.

EssilorLuxottica’s Alessio Crivelli elected to TFWA Board as VP Marketing

Alessio Crivelli, Global Travel Retail Director, EssilorLuxottica has been elected as Vice-President Marketing.

Tax Free World Association (TFWA) has named EssilorLuxottica Global Travel Retail Director Alessio Crivelli as Vice-President Marketing.

He was elected during the association’s management committee meeting on Friday 5 September and succeeds Hervé Ducros, Global Travel Retail Director at Chanel, who as reported stood down from his position on the Board.

Crivelli begins in post immediately, with his mandate running until the next election in October 2026.

A statement from the TFWA Board read: “We’d like to extend a warm welcome to Alessio Crivelli as our new Vice-President Marketing. Representing EssilorLuxottica, a company that is a worldwide leader in our industry, he brings a professional background uniquely suited to this role, with an outstanding track record in marketing across renowned brands including Adidas.

“His Italian heritage will enrich the diversity of our board, and his presence will give greater voice to a community that champions the premiumisation of our industry with distinction and style.”

Reshuffled TFWA Board has its say…

As reported on TRBusiness.com, a significant shake-up of the TFWA Board took place in October 2024 following elections of the Board and Management Committee.

Long-term incumbents Frédéric Garcia-Pelayo (Interparfums), Donatienne de Fontaines-Guillaume (Moët Hennessy) and Arnaud de Volontat (Altimetre) made way for Jean-Pierre Bombet, Head of Operations, Be Relax (Vice President Finance); Erin Lillis, Travel Retail Director APAC, Lacoste (Vice President Commercial); and Loukia Alepochoriti, Head of Corporate & Legal Affairs – Global Duty Free & Export, Imperial Brands (Vice President Conferences and Research).

They join existing Board member Sam Gerber, Managing Partner at WorldConnect AG (Vice President Corporate and Member Services).

Hervé Ducros, Global Travel Retail Director at Chanel, has stood down from his position on the Board. A new VP marketing will be elected at the TFWA Management Committee meeting in early September, this publication has been told.

In conversation with TRBusiness for the August/September e-zine – click here for the full article – Alepochoriti, Lillis and Bombet shared their perspectives on serving on TFWA’s Board while offering a timely temperature check on the association’s advancement in the interests of all travel retail stakeholders.

TFWA celebrated its 40th anniversary at last year’s World Exhibition & Conference with a spectacular fireworks display.

Achievements & progress

“I’m honoured to have been elected to the board and to work with the huge talent within the management committee and TFWA team,” commented Lillis. “It’s exciting to be collaborating on so many a strong sense of purpose and collaboration, and I’ve appreciated the opportunity to work alongside dynamic professionals who share a commitment to ethics and evolving the association into a more forward-thinking and strategically valuable organisation for its members.

“The experience has been both rewarding and energising – combining strategic planning with hands-on initiatives that are helping to shape the future of our industry.”

Asked how the new faces of TFWA are coping with the added responsibility of Board membership, all concurred that this is an aspect being firmly embraced.

Bombet said frankly: “If one isn’t able to cope with it, one should not have run for election. I did because I wasn’t at all interested in the title but only, exclusively in the ‘doing’.”

Alepochoriti added: “Listening is key. I prioritise engaging with members, gathering their feedback, and staying open to learning. This mindset of continuous improvement is essential – not just for individual personal growth, but for the association as a whole. It’s how we continue to evolve and better serve our members and the wider industry.”

A divergence of views were expressed by the new Board members when asked to identify their individual and collective achievements – latterly working alongside MC subcommittee members – to date in their respective posts.

“We’ve made strong progress in elevating the scope of our conference and research activities; on the conference side, we’re working to elevate the quality and relevance of our content, ensuring it reflects the most pressing issues facing our industry,” noted Alepochoriti.

“Additionally, we’ve worked to diversify speaker profiles (a personal priority and one that aligns with Imperial Brands’ values). We’ve also introduced more interactive formats and curated sessions that reflect the most pressing issues, reflect the evolving landscape of travel retail.”

Within the research function specifically, “groundwork” has been laid for more “robust, actionable insights”, continued Alepochoriti.

“Our subcommittee has initiated a new research partnership aimed at delivering more granular insights in consumer behaviour across regions. We’re also exploring different data tools to enhance the relevance and timeliness of our research outputs. All I can say is watch this space in the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes this year…”

Aside defining precise financial targets and adopting cautious management in the face of geopolitical turmoil, according to Bombet, the focus remains on ensuring compliance and transparency in processes and communications.

Lillis added: “Individually, I’ve worked to deepen the connection with all stakeholders, ensuring their voices shape our strategy. Contributing to the continued success of Cannes, where we’ve not only maintained momentum post-pandemic but also enhanced the commercial experience through smarter space planning and stronger brand visibility.

Open for business: (L-R) Sam Gerber, Vice President Corporate and Member Services; Philippe Margueritte, President; Franck Waechter, Managing Director; Erin Lillis, Jean-Pierre Bombet, Vice President Finance; and Loukia (Lucy) Alepochoriti, Vice President Conferences & Research.

“Collectively, our subcommittee and TFWA team are working on reshaping the Singapore event for 2026 and beyond. We’ve listened closely to member feedback and are reimagining the format to better reflect the region’s dynamism – more flexibility, more innovation, and a sharper focus on delivering ROI for exhibitors and visitors alike. It’s a collaborative effort, and I’m proud of the direction [in which] we’re heading.”

To read the full article, click here…

Michael Payne steps back from IAADFS role

Michael Payne will continue to be involved in the association’s advocacy, governance and content activities.

Michael Payne is stepping back as President and CEO of the International Association of Airport and Duty Free Stores (IAADFS), it has been announced.

The industry veteran will continue to serve as Chief Advisor to the Board on matters of advocacy, governance and programme content while shifting away from day-to-day operations involving membership services, budgets and related areas.

“As we go through some of our scheduled strategic changes and redefining our scope as an organisation, we want to be able to take advantage of his knowledge and relationships and are pleased to have his continued involvement and support,” said IAADFS Chairman Rene Riedi.

“We plan to have Michael actively participating in Cannes to focus on his areas of responsibility and helping to promote the next Summit.”

Executive Director Steven Antolick will continue to manage the operational requirements of the association, including membership development, budgets and Summit meeting requirements, via the association’s contract with management firm Smithbucklin.

‘Fresh approach’

Payne added: “I feel this is a really good solution as we go through this transition period. This conversation started back before Covid, which of course changed everything, and it clearly wasn’t a good time to make any major staff adjustments.

“We now have an energised Board with a number of new members from both the supplier and operator side who have an appreciation and understanding of what changes need to be made to better serve our members and reflect the rapidly changing nature of our industry. It’s a perfect time for new leadership and new thinking. I’m grateful for the opportunity to stay involved but recognise it’s time to welcome a fresh approach.”

Travel Retail Awards: Leading airports set to attend

Heavyweight airport operators Fraport AG and Heathrow will join a roster of leading brands and other DF&TR stakeholders in the room for the highly anticipated consumer-voted Global Travel Retail Awards ceremony.

TRBusiness revealed the ‘Voted by Shoppers’ finalists last month for the DF&TR industry’s only consumer-voted awards event, which takes place on Tuesday 30 September (18:45 – 23:00) at the Hôtel Martinez in Cannes, dovetailing with TFWA World Exhibition & Conference week.

Nigel Hardy and Janice Hook, Co-Owners and Joint CEOs of TRBusiness said: “The 2025 consumer-voted Global Travel Retail Awards is shaping up to be another industry-inspiring evening, with the broadest and most dynamic set of entries we’ve received to date being put to the scrutiny of our leading panel of consumer judges and international travellers.

“We would like to pay a special thank you to the influential lineup of bloggers/vloggers and our partner m1nd-set for pouring their respective time and energies into another rigorous judging process that has once again set the gold standard in defining the consumer mark of confidence.”

Early bird rate ends Monday

Demand for tickets continues to soar, including from entrants now basking in the glow of their coveted finalists accolades – eager to learn whether their submission(s) has secured ‘Winner’ or ‘Highly Recommended’ status – and other channel executives curious to discover the evening’s unique blend of first-class hospitality and entertainment while learning more about the unrivalled qualitative and quantitative methodology that informs the judging process (more below..).

The good news is there is you can take still take advantage of early bird rates until Monday 11 August – but time is running out to secure your place at the global ceremony that recognises those products and concepts that resonate highly with travelling shoppers.

Single tickets are priced at £390.95 + VAT (20%) with the option to secure a table of 10 for £3,709.50 + VAT (20%).

From 12 August, final release ticket pricing will apply: £450 + VAT (20%) for a single ticket and £4,300 + VAT (20%) for a table of 10.

What can you expect?

In customary fashion, attendees to the consumer-voted Global Travel Retail Awards are in for an outstanding evening, beginning with a welcome reception featuring drinks and hors d’oeuvres before seats are taken for a sumptuous three-course dinner as the spectacular live ceremony gets underway.

Proceedings will conclude with an after-party boasting live music from popular band Brightlights, plus each ticket holder will walk away with a delegate gift bag.

During the evening, attendees will learn more about the award programme’s in-depth judging process.

Entries are assessed by 5,000 consumers, who are independently sourced from data partner m1nd-set’s unique and qualified database of international travellers – each of whom will have travelled through an airport within the past six months. This stage of the judging process comprises 80% of the overall score.

Attendees to the consumer-voted Global Travel Retail Awards are in for an outstanding evening, beginning with a welcome reception featuring drinks and hors d’oeuvres before seats are taken for a sumptuous three-course dinner and the spectacular live ceremony, concluding with an after-party boasting live music from popular band Brightlights, plus a delegate gift bag for each ticket holder.

The remaining 20% leans on the perspectives of a panel of influencer judges who have added benefit of being able to touch, feel and try out the product entries during a three-day in-person judging session.

This year’s crop of influential consumer judges gathered in London in June for this year’s judging session to assess the full gamut of product and CSR & retail initiatives – stay close to TRBusiness.com for a series of exclusive video soundbites set to rollout in the lead-up to the ceremony, as TRBusiness brings you the inside track on how our consumer judges perceive the travel shopping experience today and the push-and-pull factors influencing purchase.

An extended video compilation of the soundbites will be aired at the Global Travel Retail Awards ceremony.

As consumers become more discerning and preferences continue to evolve, TRBusiness has introduced new categories this year to reflect the changing pace and expectations of the travel shopping experience.

‘Best Airport Activation (Out-of-Store)’, ‘Best Airport Retail Initiative (Special Occasion)’ and ‘Best Airport Retail Initiative (Campaign)’ bolster the incredibly popular ‘Airport Retail Initiative’ category, which launched in 2024 and has this year been refined to ‘Airport Retail Initiative (in-store)’.

Winners’ circle: Trophy winners gather on stage for a celebratory group shot at the 2024 Global Travel Retail Awards.

As last year, finalists will have two chances to tread the awards stage with trophies and compact shopping-bag-style gongs up for grabs for those declared as Winners and Highly Recommended, respectively.

Additionally, all entrants will receive valuable feedback from the panel of consumer judges.

Insights by m1nd-set show that 22% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product displaying the ‘Voted by Shoppers’ Finalist logo, while nearly a third (31%) of consumers are more likely to purchase a product displaying the ‘Voted by Shoppers’ Winner logo.

TRBusiness looks forward to welcoming you to another unforgettable evening of conviviality and education, as we crown the best-in-class products and initiatives that have earned the stamp of consumer confidence.

Thank you to all those who entered – we wish you the very best of luck on the evening.

For more information, visit travelretailawards.com

To relive the best moments from the seventh edition of the consumer-voted Global Travel Retail Awards in 2024, you can view a dedicated e-zine by clicking here.

Thank you to our partners

ETRC re-elects Nigel Keal as President on a one-year term

Nigel Keal will continue to serve as ETRC President following a members’ vote.

Members of the European Travel Retail Confederation (ETRC) have voted unanimously to re-elect Nigel Keal as President of the association on a one-year term.

Keal’s latest tenure was decided at the association’s Annual General Meeting held in Brussels last week.

“It is an honour to serve as President of the ETRC where we endeavour to continuously enhance member services,” said Keal.

“It is also my ambition that ETRC will continue acting as a platform to contribute to the ongoing dialogue about the future of travel retail towards building a stronger travel retail ecosystem, including the upcoming study on business models due to be launched in September.

“I am thankful to the members of ETRC for their trust and would particularly like to acknowledge the work and support of the Managing and Supervisory Boards.”

The ETRC Managing Board comprises Pedro Castro, Vice-President External Affairs – Global Public Affairs Director, Avolta; Philippe Margueritte, Vice-President Brands – President, Tax Free World Association (TFWA); Piret Mürk-Dubout, Vice-President Maritime Affairs – Member of the Management Board at Tallink Grupp/VD Tallink Silja AB; Paul Neeson, Vice-President Aviation Affairs – Director Retail, ARI Ireland; and Nina Semprecht, Vice-President Communications and Public Affairs – Director Corporate Communications and External Affairs, Gebr. Heinemann.

The ETRC Managing Board (L-R): Pedro Castro, Vice-President External Affairs – Global Public Affairs Director, Avolta; Piret Mürk-Dubout, Vice-President Maritime Affairs – Member of the Management Board at Tallink Grupp/VD Tallink Silja AB; Nigel Keal, President, ETRC – Chair, UKTRF; Nina Semprecht, Vice-President Communications and Public Affairs – Director Corporate Communications and External Affairs, Gebr. Heinemann; Philippe Margueritte, Vice-President Brands – President, Tax Free World Association (TFWA); and Paul Neeson, Vice-President Aviation Affairs – Director Retail, ARI Ireland (not pictured).

During a cocktail reception on the sidelines of the AGM, ETRC launched a new study commissioned from global advisory firm interVISTAS titled the ‘Economic Impact of Duty Free and Travel Retail in Europe’.

The study, which pinpoints the role of DF&TR on the European travel and tourism industry and the European economy as a whole, identified several key findings.

European DF&TR sales have witnessed notable growth and recovery since the Covid-19 pandemic, registering €2.1 billion/$2.4 billion in 2023.

It is estimated that 74% of European duty free and travel retail sales occur in the aviation channel (mainly airports) versus 54% globally.

DF&TR activities in Europe are estimated to directly support 61,900 jobs, generating €7.7 billion in GDP and indirectly support 136,400 jobs in the region.

Keal added “As ETRC President, I am proud to present this important contribution establishing the economic impact associated with the duty free and travel retail market in Europe,” said It is our hope that the findings will help policy makers and stakeholders have a greater understanding of the unique nature of our business and its innate value.”

A copy of the full report from InterVISTAS can be downloaded by clicking here.

Retail inMotion secures new five-year onboard retail contract with Ryanair

Greg O’Gorman, Director of Ancillary Revenue at Ryanair; Michelle Tully, Retail Director for Ryanair; and John Moriarty, CEO, Retail inMotion at FTE EMEA, RDS, Dublin. Photographer: Steven McKenna.

Retail inMotion (RiM) has secured a new five-year contract with Ryanair for onboard retail product, distribution and technology.

The airline is RiM’s longest-serving client, with this latest contract building on the duo’s 15-year collaboration, which began with the supply of small foil wobags (‘baggies’) and sandwiches, gradually expanding to cover the full food and beverage (F&B) distribution onboard.

Managing a complex supply chain, with over 90 bases supplying over 618 aircraft, RiM states it has maintained a 99% delivery and product availability KPI over the duration of the contract.

“Retail inMotion is privileged to continue our long-standing partnership with Ryanair,” said John Moriarty, CEO of Retail inMotion.

“Our businesses have evolved together over the last 15 years, and we look forward to the next chapter, as we continue to support Ryanair’s complex operations, explore sustainable packaging solutions aligned to its industry leading sustainability goals and actively expand its product portfolio to improve passenger experience.”

RiM’s onboard hospitality offering is supported by its full suite of Vector technology and hardware, providing end-to-end management from distribution and warehouse packing to in-flight payment and post-flight reconciliation.

Additional services include procurement, crew engagement, product packaging and design, last mile process management and menu card design.

Archives

Tourvest unveils first phase of new UK retail fulfilment centre

London City Airport and BA raise £12,000 for Mind with Runway Run

Rudolph Lohmeyer at TFWA: ‘We are in a moment of profound disorder’

Not all doom and gloom

Passivity ‘a recipe for losing’

Tourvest secures onboard retail services agreement with Virgin Atlantic

EssilorLuxottica’s Alessio Crivelli elected to TFWA Board as VP Marketing

Reshuffled TFWA Board has its say…

Achievements & progress

Michael Payne steps back from IAADFS role

‘Fresh approach’

Travel Retail Awards: Leading airports set to attend

Early bird rate ends Monday

What can you expect?

ETRC re-elects Nigel Keal as President on a one-year term

Retail inMotion secures new five-year onboard retail contract with Ryanair

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