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MEA travel retail leaders outline new promise to travelling consumers

MEADFA 2025

The ‘Leading through change’ panel discussion took place on Monday morning.

Delivering personalised and meaningful experiences, enhancing storytelling and being more agile – all while finding a balance between premiumisation and price – will help travel retailers stay relevant across the Middle East and Africa (MEA), according to leading voices in the region.

A six-strong powerhouse panel assembled at the 2025 MEADFA Conference in Dubai this morning to discuss how to keep on advancing the business, amid geopolitical uncertainty and shifting market dynamics, with a key talking point being rethinking the value proposition and price promise for a new generation of travellers.

Taking to the stage for the first panel session of the day was Abdeslam Agzoul, CEO Middle East & Africa, Avolta; Nuno Amaral, CEO ARI Middle East & Global COO, Aer Rianta International; Chichi Maponya, Co-founder and Executive Chairperson, Africa Travel Retail; Jack MacGowan, CEO, Al Waha Duty Free Company; Vincent Romet, CEO France & Luxembourg and COO, MEA & South East Asia & Africa, Lagardère Travel Retail; and Bernard Schlafstein, CEO of Middle East & Africa, Gebr. Heinemann, with the conversation moderated by Dermot Davitt, President, The Moodie Davitt Report.

Abdeslam Agzoul kick-started the discussion by highlighting some of the biggest dynamics impacting the market, such as the post Covid era, growing passenger numbers and travelling shoppers being willing to spend (albiet with a growing demand for ‘sense of place’) and the need for retailers and brands to be flexible and agile.

“Volatility, for us, is an opportunity,” he said. “We should not take volatility as a risk, but as an opportunity.”

Amaral took the audience through 35 years of ARI in the region, commenting: “The region reflects a little bit of ARI’s spirit in terms of entrepreneurship, taking risks and constantly trying to evolve.” He underscored that the retailer is looking forwards, rather than backwards.

“We want to continue to grow. Our most recent opening two years ago in Abu Dhabi was really successful. We continue to look at opportunities in the region – we see a lot of potential and resilience.”

Africa Travel Retail’s Maponya added her view on how the element of agility speaks to how travel retailers respond to the market.

“The traveller is more astute. The traveller knows what they want. At the time of Covid, many people were all about self. The new rich don’t care about brands, the house you live in, they car… they want time, freedom and travel – and that element of travel is still there,” she said.

“The [passenger] numbers have increased but spend is still not where it should be. As much as the basket reduces, the ticket [cost of the basket] is increasing. Now, as retailers we need to spend more time on conversion – how do we give the traveller what they want?”

She explained that in order to master this, the traveller’s entire journey needs to be considered, with digital engagement all along the way. Now’s the time, she said, to focus on collaboration.

“Collaboration with airports, airlines…. because all of us are talking to this one traveller,” she said. “How do we share data and information to make sure that we offer a value proposition to the traveller that enhances their journey and their experience?”

While she noted such collaborations are beginning to happen, she stressed that there is still room to “widen the pool” and share information to ensure the traveling consumer’s experience is enhanced. Weaving authentic, local brands into the mix should also be an important part of the strategy.

“Culture is one of the biggest experiences we can present,” she said. “Concessionaires need to be authentic in the way they engage local brands and make the supply chain process without compromising but make it more accessible to local brands.”

She warned against ‘cut and paste’ solutions and reminded stakeholders in the room the importance of giving consumers what they’re asking for.

Romet highlighted how long-term growth requires short-term agility: “There are a lot of things happening – tensions, unfortunately tragic events in the Middle East,” he said. “Despite all this we see a great resilience and we are very confident in the fact that traffic levels in those regions are very strong.”

MEADFA 2025

L-R: Nuno Amaral, CEO ARI Middle East & Global COO, Aer Rianta International; Jack MacGowan, CEO, Al Waha Duty Free Company; Abdeslam Agzoul, CEO Middle East & Africa, Avolta; Chichi Maponya, Co-founder and Executive Chairperson, Africa Travel Retail;  Vincent Romet, CEO France & Luxembourg and COO, MEA & South East Asia & Africa, Lagardère Travel Retail; Bernard Schlafstein, CEO of Middle East & Africa, Gebr. Heinemann; Dermot Davitt, President, The Moodie Davitt Report.

He also spoke of how the vision for the future beyond oil revenue for countries in the region is giving rise to diversified economies.

“We see a lot of investment in tourism, backed by investment in infrastructure,” he said. “We see a lot going on in GCC countries and this is accelerating for sure. We, Lagardère, are here to serve those ambitions. To listen to those countries that have a bright vision or themselves.”

He continued: “We see a drastic change here [in the region]. On our side, we see our capacity to listen, empower our people in the different countries to support and deliver is really key for success and this is really our approach in this region.”

Schlafstein also shared a very positive outlook.

“For us MEA is a strategic region,” he said, giving an insight into the retailer’s journey through to one of its most recent high-profile joint venture openings: Jeddah Duty Free.

“We learnt a lot about the consumers there and the trends that are going on there,” he said.

In terms of best performing categories he added: “Tobacco is a big share of the business. Beauty is doing well – not just traditional ones [brands] but also niche brands and local ones.”

Marking his first address at a public forum, Al Waha’s MacGowan explained the story behind the new venture which is a subsidiary of PIF, the sovereign fund of Saudi Arabia, and guided by Vision 2030.

He referenced how, with a 30 million plus population, a different approach is required for The Kingdom to leverage the “enormous untapped opportunity” that awaits.

“PIF have set up Al Waha to compete and win business and transform the airport experience,” he said.

“We will be different because we are so closely aligned with the customer service goals of Vision 2023. We desperately want to improve the tourist experience in the airports and other touchpoints. So how we compete is not going to be on price – it will be on service. Our core focus is about sales, staff, getting the assortment right and underpinning all of that is how deeply we understand our customers.”

He explained how today’s customer is typically younger – Gen Z – and how there is a big opportunity to deliver what they want.

“Our job at Al Waha is to know the Riyadh customer first and the Saudi customer second… better than anyone else so we can edit and change the offer so it’s better for them,” he said.

“We’ve got two-and-a-half-times the Gen Z passengers than the global average. So the question I ask when we are recruiting our staff, is how many of the staff that are serving our Gen Z consumers are Gen Z themselves?”

Schlafstein agreed with MacGowan’s observations, adding how Gebr. Heinemann is seeing a shift away from ‘traditional’ customers and how Gen Z and Gen Alpha customers seeking experiences, are AI driven, and impacted by influencers – and the need to act accordingly.

“We believe there will be drive towards more local brands,” he confirmed. “We already have a big chunk of our business – double-digit percentage of local SKUs we supply to Jeddah or get from Saudi to Jeddah.”

When pressed on whether there is a fixed percentage of local products the retailer aims to have in store, Schlafstein said there was an ‘up to 20%’ target.

Looking at the wider region, Avolta’s Abdsalam said the pattern for introducing local products and brands is “tending to the same target, but the reality of the level of advance is different to one another”, depending on the location.

Looking at Africa, he stressed how passengers need to be treated in a differentiated way either through personalisation or in the offer or proposition a retailer is bringing to the airport.

“This is the case also in the Middle East,” he added. “Personalisation and customer centricity need to be an obsession of the operator – and this is our obsession in Avolta.”

He continued: “You can only achieve that by the data you use… if you use all the data you manage, and the smart use of this data.”

Abdsalam also revealed that Avolta is also thinking in terms of culture ambassadors rather than brand ambassadors to drive this home.

“It brings a lot of value,” he said. “Apart from having product, pricing, etc… the people are key. You have people that really represent and promote this sense of belonging, sense of place and sense of culture.”

MEADFA 2025

The powerhouse panel, deep in discussion.

ARI’s Amaral also recognised the “medium-term challenge is tapping into Gen Z and Gen Alpha” and “staying relevant to them”.

“They not only shop differently but acquire their intention to shop in a different way,” he said.

“Everything is done online – that is where they acquire their information,” adding that it’s how the industry stays relevant is what counts.

He also highlights a polarisation of the offer: “We used to be a very premium channel yet always shout about value and there was a little bit of a disconnect between what you see in our shops.

He continued: “I think all operators have tried different models of showing value and probably going a bit more hard selling. Initially there was a lot of resistance from brands and airports, even internally, but the proof is in the pudding and actually it works.

“I think we are seeing that to connect [with consumers] we need to have both, providing we can differentiate between the two offers, and doing very well the value offer and also still utilising the channel as a premium channel to convey brand awareness, brand building and innovation.”

His point sparked a discussion whether there needs to be a new promise to the consumer, to which Maponya responded: “Absolutely. I think we underplay the importance of the storytelling and the new traveller wanting authenticity in the products and not wanting repetition. Every trip is an experience, and they want to see it and feel it and that gives us an opportunity to engage at that level.”

Linked to this, Lagardère Travel Retail’s Romet noted a clear shift to responsible consumption, linked to authenticity and shoppers understanding where whatever they are consuming is coming from.

On the premiumisation verses price debate, he said: “At Lagardère we have a very strong marketing team so we feel the way we have to combine those two things that may look opposite but in the end are the experience the young generation are looking for,” he said.

Delving deeper into the point, Amaral explained how today’s consumers are more attuned to value and authenticity than aspirational lifestyle aspects when it comes to purchasing decisions.

Al Waha’s MacGowan concurred that there’s “a lot of work to be done” to better understand today’s consumers and how best to serve them.

“We now have a small group of large players and they are not always as fast, as agile or as accepting of the local conditions as could be – both on the brand and operator side and increasingly on the airport side,” he said. “Generally, we are consolidating into a more mature industry where there’s much larger players and the challenge is to be local so the first step in that is to invest in data sharing between airports, airlines, operators and brands – that’s really key to competing with the online channel.”

Ultimately, the panel agreed that staying relevant for the younger generation is both a chief challenge and opportunity moving forward and perhaps one that can perhaps only be solved by stakeholders working more closely together and by sharing data, for instance, to stay a step ahead of trends.

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Imperial Brands returns as 2025 MEADFA Conference Platinum Sponsor

Imperial Brands confirms its return as a Platinum Sponsor of the 2025 MEADFA Conference

Imperial Brands has revealed Davidoff Selected Leaf at the 2025 MEADFA Conference.

Imperial Brands has confirmed its return as a Platinum Sponsor of the 2025 MEADFA Conference, which is officially underway in Dubai, reinforcing the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region as a central pillar in its long-term travel retail strategy.

The renewed partnership underscores the company’s continued investment in industry collaboration and brand-building within a market where premium tobacco remains a significant driver of duty-free performance.

Alongside the sponsorship announcement, Imperial Brands has revealed Davidoff Selected Leaf, a new duty-free exclusive positioned to elevate the brand’s premium credentials for discerning adult consumers.

The blend is crafted using rare Oriental top-leaf tobacco grown in the sun-drenched foothills of the Southeast Mediterranean, lending the product what the brand describes as a refined, layered aroma profile. The launch aligns with ongoing consumer interest in craftsmanship, provenance and premiumisation within the tobacco category.

Davidoff Selected Leaf also introduces several refined presentation elements, including Freshlock packaging designed to maintain lasting freshness and Senso-tipping paper, which provides enhanced tactile feedback for a more considered smoking experience.

Available only through a curated network of international airports, the exclusivity aims to further strengthen Davidoff’s positioning within the duty-free channel.

“We are delighted to once again partner with MEADFA as a Platinum Sponsor,” said Vangelis Nikolopoulos, Global Duty Free Regional Manager, Region East. “The conference is a vital platform for collaboration and innovation in travel retail. The launch of Davidoff Selected Leaf exemplifies our commitment to delivering premium, differentiated experiences tailored to today’s global traveller.”

MEADFA remains one of the leading regional forums for travel retail stakeholders, bringing together brands, retailers, operators and distributors from across the Middle East and Africa. For Imperial Brands, its renewed presence signals both confidence in the region’s continued growth and the company’s intention to play an active role in shaping the future direction of the channel.

Imperial Brands will connect with partners and peers at MEADFA 2025 as planning progresses for category, portfolio and retail development initiatives across key travel retail locations.

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READ NEXT: Imperial Brands to unveil ultra-premium Davidoff Selected Leaf at TFWA Cannes

Travel Blue unveils shop-in-shop with CDFG at Wuhan Airport

Travel Blue Wuhan

The Travel Blue SIS with CDFG at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport opened in October. 

Travel accessories expert Travel Blue has opened a new shop-in-shop (SIS) with China Duty Free Group at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport.

Unveiled in October, the 25 sqm space is a one-stop shop solution for the whole range, located in the CDFG store opposite airport security.

“We are thrilled to partner with CDFG and open our spectacular new shop-in-shop space at Wuhan,” said Travel Blue China Managing Director, Andy King.

“This extensive new installation offers great value, everyday, functional products demanded by today’s travellers.”

CDFG has been the sole duty-free operator at Wuhan Airport since 2017. Currently, it’s China’s 13th busiest airport, clocking up approximately 31 million passengers in 2024. International passenger traffic is expected to grow by 15-20% this year.

Travel Blue Wuhan

The Travel Blue SIS at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport houses a broad range of travel goods and accessories.

The Travel Blue SIS houses a broad range of travel goods and accessories, including travel pillows, earphones, power banks and electronic chargers, on-board luggage, backpacks and water bottles.

This latest opening follows the installation of 14 Travel Blue brand corners installed at 10 airports across China so far this year.

These include at Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Haikou, Lanzhou, Nanning, Sanya, Shanghai Pudong, Wuhan and Wulumuqi.

READ MORE: Travel Blue welcomes Alan Brennan as Global Commercial Director

READ MORE: Travel Blue expands Asia Pacific footprint with new brand corners

READ MORE: Travel Blue set to bring Gen Z focused offering to Cannes

Lotte Duty Free introduces ‘Luxury Winter Holiday’ travel promotion

Lotte Duty Free Luxury Winter Holiday promotion

The campaign is running from now until 31 December.

Lotte Duty Free has unveiled its winter shopping campaign, which incorporates a range of travel-themed promotions and giveaways for customers preparing for year-end overseas trips.

Highlighting popular winter destinations such as Rovaniemi in Finland, Sapporo in Japan, and Bali in Indonesia, the campaign offers shoppers the chance to win a selection of travel packages.

From now until 31 December, Korean customers who spend over US$300 at Lotte Duty Free downtown stores can enter a prize draw worth a total of ₩14 million (approx. US$10,000).

The first prize is a six-night, eight-day trip for two to Finland, including a visit to Santa’s Village and an Aurora Tour. The second prize is a two-night, three-day trip for two to Sapporo. Third prize is free admission and skate rental at Lotte World Ice Rink.

Online shoppers can also access exclusive benefits. Lotte Duty Free is offering a 10% discount code for stays at Kempinski Bali from 7–30 November. Customers who spend at least ₩100,000 via Kakao Pay during the campaign period – and complete their duty-free pick-up by 31 December – will be entered into a draw to win a two-night stay for two people at Kempinski Bali.

Additionally, to mitigate high exchange rates, Lotte Duty Free will give away up to ₩1.51 million in LDF PAY credits on weekdays and up to ₩1.69 million on weekends, depending on payment method, through the end of the year.

The retailer’s Myeongdong flagship and World Tower stores in Seoul, in addition to its Jeju store, are running LDF PAY promotions on fashion, watches and jewellery purchases. Its Busan location is offering promotions across all categories.

Finally, Lotte Duty Free is running a Black Friday promotion from 7-30 November, offering discounts of up to 70% on selected brands including
Givenchy Beauty, Jill Stuart, Nars and Urban Decay. Additional discount coupons of up to 15% will be available, with further savings for customers using partner airlines or payment platforms.

A Lotte Duty Free spokesperson commented: “We have prepared a variety of seasonal promotions and prize draws to bring more enjoyment to customers planning their year-end travels. Lotte Duty Free will continue to enhance value for travellers through diverse and meaningful promotional initiatives.”

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Joseph Ribkoff raises profile in travel retail with stylish Cannes showcase

Joseph Ribkoff

Joseph Ribkoff made its debut appearance at the TFWA World Exhibition this year with a striking showcase of high-fashion yet practical womenswear tailored to travel retail.

We caught up with Nadine Clour, Joseph Ribkoff’s Senior Director, Sales Strategy and Business Development on the stand in the Riviera Village, who told us more about the brand’s early development in the channel, and how the company is working to raise its profile among decision-makers.

“We’ve just launched a Joseph Ribkoff sports collection, which is key for travel retail – easy care friendly pieces for our woman for her to travel in and enjoy… still with that little bit of extra bling and excitement to it,” she told us.

While the brand is relatively new to travel retail, it already has a presence on cruise ships and is opening a new airport pop-up activation in Australia.

On shopper behaviour, Clour observed: “We are noticing that our woman, who tends to shop for luxury items while she’s in the airport, is maybe being a little bit more financially conscious right now, but still loves to shop and buy product.

“And so I think our category and our price point, and of course her love for fashion, hits the mark.”

Hit play to learn more…

Joseph Ribkoff is known for its signature blend of style, comfort and versatility.

Its collections feature wrinkle-resistant, easy-care fabrics that make each piece suitcase-friendly and ready to wear straight off the hanger.

Plus, the brand is fully inclusive, with sizes ranging from XS to XXL.

The brand first exhibited at the TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition in May before heading to Cannes.

Joseph Ribkoff’s travel retail strategy focuses on premium positioning in high-traffic international hubs; particularly in Europe, where brand recognition is strong, and in the Middle East and Asia, where there is solid potential for expansion.

READ NEXT: Joseph Ribkoff to debut womenswear collections at TFWA World Exhibition

Driving brand awareness and being Gen Z ready powering GTR plans for Babor

Babor

Babor Beauty Group exhibited for the first time at this year’s TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, with the global DF&TR industry summit providing the ideal platform for the company to achieve its number one priority of raising brand awareness.

“It is a great chance to really show our brands and gain hopefully new partners in order to grow globally and travel retail in the long term future,” Lara Schlüter, Director Travel Retail, told in this video interview filmed on the stand.

She went on to discuss how the customer profile in the channel is evolving.

“Gen Z is getting more important for us already today, but also for the future,” she said. “It’s going to be our most important customer.

“And therefore we have to change our assortment and also our strategy in order to catch them.”

The new, clean and vegan Microbiomic product line from the premium expert skincare brand may well be the answer. View the video to find out more…


Ultimately, Babor is focusing heavily on activations in airports and also on training beauty consultants to offer the best possible service to customers.

“We offer performance skincare, luxurious textures and experiences with clean formulations and sustainable manufacturing,” said Co-CEO Tim Waller.

“We think we have exactly what it takes for the market and for the next generation and we’re looking to the future in travel retail.”

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Departure Media unveils new brand identity and website experience

Departure Media new logo

The new brand identity was inspired by one of the company’s core values: “Celebrate a Departure from the Norm”.

US airport-exclusive advertising company Departure Media has unveiled a fresh look – including a new logo and a redesigned website – inspired by one of its core values: “Celebrate a Departure from the Norm”.

The new logo features a plane soaring towards the sun, symbolising elevated experiences, while a refined colour palette and metallic foil textures aim to add a premium, modern feel. To create this new brand identity, Departure Media partnered with Charleston-based creative agency BlueIon.

Designed with users in mind, the revamped website is easier to navigate, and incorporates useful features such as interactive airport partner maps; streamlined contact and payment portals; and dedicated sections for both advertisers and airport partners.

“We’ve always been exclusively focused on airport advertising – it’s what sets us apart,” commented Departure Media CEO and Founder Leslie Bensen. “So, when we set out to refresh our brand, we wanted every detail to reflect that uniqueness.

“This wasn’t just a design update – it was a full team collaboration. Every department played a role, from sales shaping the advertiser section, to production and marketing curating visuals, and business development refining content for airport partners. The result is a brand and website that truly reflect who we are and where we’re headed.”

Blackjack rebrands to ABM Experience Solutions

ABM Experience Solutions

Leanne Nutter, Retail & Brand Director, ABM and Richard Sykes, Senior Vice President & President, ABM UK & Ireland.

UK staffing, travel retail and experiential agency Blackjack Promotions has today announced its rebrand to ABM Experience Solutions.

The brand integration marks pivotal moment of growth for Blackjack Promotions, which was founded in 1995 and acquired by ABM in 2013.

Blackjack’s specialised creative and human-centred capabilities will now be delivered through a new ABM Experience Solutions (AX) offering, with the dedicated platform set to connect brands with customers across the UK and Ireland.

The approach, says the company, will help to strengthen ABM’s ability to deliver creative, human-centred experiences across industries.

“We are going to be the same team, the same people, delivering a very similar service; but with this alignment, our clients will receive a better service long-term,” Leanne Nutter, Retail & Brand Director, told TRBusiness. “Our partners are already aware that we’re part of ABM… The scale of that support behind us has definitely been felt for a long time. What we want to ensure is that our clients feel that they get that continuity of service and that we’re still the same innovative, agile, flexible team – with the only thing changing being our opportunity to grow and build on our service offering.”

Added Simon Barnes, VP Sales and Marketing, ABM: “We’re really proud of our Blackjack Promotions business and the time is right to move it into the ABM brand. It’s been part of our family of businesses for many years and with our significant growth ambitions we’ve seen the opportunity to use Blackjack magic across the business; specifically from a workplace experience perspective.

“The rebrand is powerful because it enables our AX team to get across the rest of ABM that bit better. We want to protect and grow AX and have more invested into it and bring different people from around our enterprise into it.”

The move builds on Blackjack’s 30-year legacy in travel retail staffing and experiential marketing, combining the creativity and consultancy spirit of a boutique specialist, backed by the operational strength and scale of a multinational enterprise.

“Our partners and customers are looking for innovation and stability from us and that’s something that we certainly can give,” said Nutter. “Whilst we’ve been able to do that since 2013, we are reaffirming that; letting our customers know that we are a partner for the future, able to innovate and grow with them and deliver what they are looking for.”

ABM Experience Solutions

Integrating Blackjack Promotions fully into ABM is said to team agility and creativity with the governance and sustainability credentials of a global organisation in order to strengthen its position for the future.

The ABM Experience Solutions (AX) offering centres around four pillars: People (expert staffing and ambassador deployment); Experiential (design and delivery of immersive, brand-enhancing environments); Learning & Development (end-to-end training design and delivery); and Service Design & Consultancy (strategic advisory on service journeys, workforce planning, and customer experience).

ABM says the rebrand is reflective of the evolving expectations of partners and suppliers in travel retail – especially with regards to demand for higher levels of compliance and assurance in staffing, alongside proven sustainability credentials and more.

“Our clients are already looking to us for more support and engagement with things like corporate responsibility and how we can help deliver as a supplier for them in many areas that are fundamentals and really important to everyone right now,” explained Nutter.

She added: “Responsible business is not really [just] a ‘nice to have’ anymore. As a supplier to brands big and small, whether it’s Avolta or L’Oréal, you need to be able to deliver to those demands. So while it’s already a major strength, we are already looking at how we can really accelerate support in our joint partnership plans.”

ABM Experience Solutions

Through the ABM Experience Solutions offering, ABM will integrate creative and experiential expertise into its broader suite of services.

All of this feeds into the integration helping to provide greater stability and resilience for clients amid an fast-changing landscape.

“This brand integration is about more than a name change – it’s about unlocking opportunity,” said Richard Sykes, Senior Vice President & President, ABM UK & Ireland. “Since its founding in 1995, Blackjack Promotions has built a reputation for creativity and excellence. By bringing that legacy under ABM through the ABM Experience Solutions offering (AX), we’re strengthening our UK and Ireland offering and creating a platform for future growth internationally – expanding ABM’s reach into new sectors and experiences.”

ABM Experience Solutions

Simon Barnes, VP Sales and Marketing, ABM.

Added Barnes: “We’re a $9bn business. Effectively we work across key markets from aviation, corporate real estate, life sciences, manufacturing, distribution, healthcare and a small amount of high-street retail – covering key sectors and services from cleaning to engineering, security, retail experience, workplace experience and more.”

He continued: “With the rebrand, we’re looking at growing AX outside of aviation. The fact that we are part of a global US enterprise means that when we want to take five or 10-year contracts and put a level of investment into that, whether its people or technology… clients can be assured that ABM will be around to deliver it.”

“We have ambitious growth targets. We want to protect our current business and grow it.  We’re investing in it from a people perspective. And we’re on a technology roadmap so we’ll make sure we bring in the right technology at the appropriate time as well. We’re really growing our aviation business working directly with airports and we see that as another way to expand our services that we do in these big, one-site environments we work in. Travel retail remains the priority in our experience business – and everything around it enables us to invest more and increase our experience and hopefully our market share.”

Ultimately, the new ABM Experience Solutions offering promises to help elevate the way people experience spaces – from the journey through an airport to the atmosphere of a high-profile event.

Added Nutter: “We’ll be looking for every opportunity for growth that makes sense to us. Travel retail is a huge, global industry; so the world is our oyster as there is so much opportunity out there for us and being part of the ABM brand and the territories they operate in, we will certainly be looking at all opportunities.”

She concluded: “We have been ABM’s secret weapon in aviation for a while, but this rebrand allows us now to be even more competitive.”

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Blueprint invests in Indivd to power AI-driven airport retail evolution

Blueprint Individ Thomas K Henningsen

The partnership comes as AI technology is set to transform global retail.

Business development consultancy Blueprint has become a shareholder in Indivd, a Stockholm-based artificial intelligence (AI) technology company pioneering privacy-first analytics.

The partnership signals a key step forward in Blueprint’s vision of how AI will reshape the airport shopping journey, evolving it from transactional retail into predictable, hyper-personalised and memorable traveller experiences.

“By uniting Blueprint’s strategic foresight with Indivd’s patented and GDPR-compliant AI technology, we have implemented a powerful capability; tracking and predicting shopping behaviour and turning findings into actionable recommendations for airports, retailers and brands,” commented Blueprint partner Karl Walter.

“The best part is that this set-up is easy-to-use, cheap to run and comes with the highest degree of accuracy.”

Blueprint advances its AI vision

Blueprint Partner Thomas Kaneko-Henningsen added: “By 2030, the competitive divide in airport retail will be between those hubs that leverage AI to monetise shopping in progressive ways and those that don’t.

“Together with Indivd, we deliver unique value in terms of advising the airport community on how to engage with travelling customers.”

The partnership comes as AI is set to transform global retail. The AI market is projected to generate US$1.81 trillion by 2030, with McKinsey estimating US$400-US$660 billion in annual value for retail and consumer goods.

Blueprint Indivd AI partnership

The alliance unites Indivd’s AI technology with Blueprint’s strategic airport commerce expertise.

According to Forbes, 51% of global shoppers now use AI for price checking; 45% for product inquiries; and 41% for budget planning.

Founded in 2017, Indivd has developed a patented AI platform that converts standard in-terminal and in-store 2D camera systems into powerful, privacy-first footfall tracking and visitor-analytics tools – all while maintaining complete anonymity.

Beyond measuring movement, Indivd’s AI understands intent, learning from anonymised behavioural data to anticipate travellers’ engagement, dwell time and likelihood of purchase. This predictive insight helps airports and retailers refine layouts, optimise category mix, and drive conversions.

Blueprint Indivd Fredrik Amréus Hammergården

Indivd technology’s 99.11% accuracy, scalability, and full GDPR compliance have made it the solution of choice for over 50 major retailers worldwide.

Its 99.11% accuracy, scalability, and full GDPR compliance have made it the solution of choice for over 50 major retailers worldwide, with the first airport implementation now underway.

Blueprint’s investment in Indivd is rooted in a belief that the future of airport shopping lies in data-driven empathy; blending the precision of AI with a human understanding of emotion and intention.

Indivd Chief Product Owner Fredrik Amréus Hammargården noted: “Blueprint brings strategic strength, industry insight and market access. Their deep understanding of airport dynamics, retail evolution, and the traveller mindset will help us accelerate our expansion into airports worldwide. Together, we’re building the foundation for the next era of AI-driven airport intelligence.”

Blueprint Indivd AI partnership

Beyond measuring movement, Indivd’s AI also understands intent, learning from anonymised behavioural data to anticipate travellers’ behaviour.

The partnership integrates Indivd’s technology with Blueprint’s strategic airport commerce expertise, enabling data-smart environments where technology quietly enhances both experience and performance across:

  • In-terminal wayfinding: Helping travellers navigate airside and landside terminals
  • In-terminal space management: Optimising space allocation for retail, F&B, duty free, pop-ups, experiential retail zones and lounges
  • In-store category management: Optimising space allocation between brands and product categories
  • Enhanced store performance: Real-time insights into how in-store retail zones are performing
  • Analysing rent levels: Adjusting rent per store unit according to turnover, footfall, bounce rates and dwell time
  • Future-proofing shopping behaviour: Predicting shopping behaviour based on historical data

Blueprint Partner Sonja Soskic concluded: “Leveraging Blueprint’s and Indivd’s combined capabilities enables the dynamic adaptation of airport retail layouts and designing customer experiences that align with traveller moods and motivations. Ultimately, this means transforming airports into intelligent marketplaces catering to experience-hungry travellers.”

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Dubai Duty Free hits all-time high with US$220.7 million in October sales

Dubai Duty Free Managing Director, Ramesh Cidambi. 

Dubai Duty Free (DDF) has reported record-breaking October sales of AED805.6 million (US$220.7 million), marking its highest-ever performance for the month and its eighth record month out of ten this year.

The figure surpasses the previous October record of AED692 million (US$189 million) set in 2023 and stands as the third-highest monthly sales result in the retailer’s 42-year history, following the December 2024 all-time record of AED821.4 million (US$225 million).

The strong October performance saw sales grow 19.31% year-on-year, outpacing passenger traffic growth by at least 10%, underscoring the retailer’s continued sales momentum across all categories and locations.

Year-to-date sales reached AED6.88 billion (US$1.885 billion), up 8.72% or AED552 million (US$151 million) compared to the same period in 2024.

Dubai Duty Free Managing Director, Ramesh Cidambi, praised the team’s performance, saying: “A big thank you goes to our Chairman, H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, for his unwavering support, and to the team at Dubai Duty Free for their extraordinary hard work and dedication in meeting the needs of an ever-increasing number of passengers.”

Perfumes and gold were two of the biggest sales drivers at DDF.

Perfume and gold drive duty-free sales boost

Perfumes remained the top-selling category in October, generating AED139.9 million (US$38.3 million). Gold ranked second with AED97.2 million (US$26.6 million), buoyed by Diwali-related demand and the enduring appeal of the category as both a cultural and luxury purchase.

The popularity of Dubai Chocolate drove an impressive growth in the confectionary category.

Liquor (AED96.7 million/US$26.5 million) and tobacco (AED74 million/US$20.3 million) also posted strong results, while confectionery achieved its highest-ever monthly sales of AED78 million (US$21.4 million), driven by the popularity of “Dubai Chocolate”. The subcategory sold 428,000 pieces — the equivalent of 71 tons — across nine brands, generating AED34 million (US$9.3 million) in sales.

Luxury boutiques shine in travel retail

Luxury fashion continued to perform strongly, with boutiques including Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, Gucci and Cartier posting a 43.5% year-on-year sales increase. The opening of new Louis Vuitton and Cartier boutiques in Concourse A in September contributed significantly to the uplift.

Luxury fashion boutiques, including Louis Vuitton, continued to perform strongly.

High-value transactions also highlighted traveller appetite for premium purchases, including AED2.2 million (US$605,000) in sales from REKLAIM, DDF’s pre-owned luxury concept store. Among the standout sales were an Audemars Piguet watch priced above AED200,000 (US$54,794) and two Hermès Birkin handbags, each sold for over AED120,000 (US$32,876).

Consistent growth across all locations and regions

All locations reported double-digit growth, with Concourse A up 27.4%, Concourse B up 21.5%, Concourse C up 21.9%, Concourse D up 11.2% and Terminal 2 up 13.1%.

Arrivals also rose 18.3% year-on-year despite increased competition within the airport.

Regionally, sales to passengers bound for Africa, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, the Far East and Australasia each rose by more than 20%, with Russia up 14.2% and Africa up 18.5%. The Indian subcontinent recorded a more modest but positive increase of 6.62%.

All concourses at DDF reported double-digit growth.

Looking ahead for Dubai Duty Free

As Dubai Duty Free prepares to celebrate its 42nd anniversary on December 20, the retailer is on track to close 2025 as one of its strongest years on record, driven by resilient passenger spend, an expanding luxury offer and strong category performances across its global customer base.

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