SWITZERLAND. Weitnauer Group of Companies, one of duty free’s longest-established players, has created a new division called Dufry Travel Retail (DTR), with all travel retail contracts and related resources transferred from Weitnauer Retail services.
The administration, marketing, procurement and logistics in Basel now go under the name Dufry Travel Retail Ltd (DTR). All travel retail contracts and businesses formerly under Weitnauer Services have been transferred to Dufry, which will remain a 100% Swiss subsidiary of Weitnauer Holding Ltd and a full member of the Weitnauer Group of Companies.
Weitnauer is taking what ceo Frederic Gauchet describes as “the last formal step” towards transforming the company into a “100% travel retail group”.
He confirmed earlier reports that Dufry has changed its structure to strengthen its regional teams of category experts in Sharjah, Milan, Miami and Paris. Gauchet said Dufry will provide a stronger brand focus within its global stores in future. All group category managers now report to ex-Alpha Retail executive Liz Woodland and a review process is underway for all divisions. As earlier revealed by The Moodie Report, Woodland was named chief procurement officer and member of the Group Executive Committee, effective 1 June.
The head office of Weitnauer Group of Companies, Weitnauer Holding and Dufry Travel Retail are at Hardstrasse 95, CH 4020 Basel. Telephone, fax and email details remain unchanged.
From 1 June 2003, the new product delivery address for Dufry will be Dufry Travel Retail, c/o Cargologic, Fegistrasse 5, CH 8957 Spreitenbach, Switzerland.
Comment: When we published Weitnauer’s 2002 results in April, we said this was a company to watch. This news confirms it. Our words at the time bear repeating: “In recent years there has been a sharp move towards greater transparency and the separation of retail and wholesale interests has been a decisive and well thought-out move. With a transparent and – judging by these [strong] results – effective structure in place, attention now moves to where Weitnauer is headed. The company has been the butt of endless industry speculation – and much unfair criticism in the case of recent tobacco smuggling allegations – for many months, which has served nobody well. Weitnauer’s statement of intent with regard to non-profitable bidding situations is welcome and seems to usher in a new era for one of duty free’s most established players. A streamlined new management, characterised by several top-class appointments, suggests no one should write off Weitnauer just yet.”
A fresh era has begun and travel retail’s newest player will be the subject of intense interest from the industry at large – and, inevitably, from the investment community
