UK. Dufry’s World Duty Free New Generation Store was officially launched today at Heathrow Airport Terminal 3. [Following this initial brief report, look out for Martin Moodie’s and Kevin Rozario’s extended analysis and view of the offer, coming soon.]
The newly refurbished store offers 2,500sq m of retail space. It features a notable focus on the latest digital technology, intended to deliver a highly personalised shopping experience to the 25,000 customers who visit the store each day.
The New Generation Store makes extensive use of digital technology to boost customer engagement by talking to the most represented nationalities (including Chinese) in their own language and addressing the individual preferences of the different passenger profiles.
Digitalisation also supports sales staff when they are advising customers on brands and product ranges, with the assistance of new tablets which provide information on product characteristics, customs allowances and other points of interest in several languages.
Fred Creighton, Dufry Divisional CEO of UK and Central Europe said: “We are very proud to present this New Generation Store to passengers visiting Heathrow’s Terminal 3, as this is the latest generation concept in shop design. We are confident that customers will enjoy the completely new and immersive shopping experience it delivers.
“We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our teams, brands and partners at Heathrow who have worked in close collaboration with us, to help us deliver this exciting new retail space.” 
Ross Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Heathrow said, “It’s fantastic to see this new World Duty Free concept brought to life, and I know that passengers will be delighted with the new interactive and experiential feel to the space. Adding the New Generation Store to Terminal 3 really compliments the wider redevelopment of the departure lounge undertaken recently. Together, these investments have significantly enhanced the experience we offer passengers.”
Beauty and liquor dominate
At the store’s entrance immediately beyond central security, passengers first encounter the two key categories of beauty and liquor. Within the 1,000sq m Beauty Hall, customers can discover an extensive range of brands – including many that are new to T3 – supported with interactive, digital technologies which enable them to ‘virtually’ experiment with different make-up looks or find out more about different products in their preferred language.
A series of boutique areas have been created for the big international brands, including Chanel, Lancôme and Estée Lauder. A stand-out feature sees Dior introduce its Maison Christian Dior concept, the first in European travel retail.
The beauty area also features a premium Skincare Zone which introduces customers to super-premium brands such as La Mer, Omorovicza (from Hungary), Sisley, Fresh (hugely popular with Chinese customers) and Eve Lom. Here customers can have consultations with specialist staff and enjoy a variety of free pre-flight treatments and services.
Extra space has also been allocated to fragrance with a dedicated ‘Haute Parfumerie’ area. Brands new to the T3 store are showcased here and include Acqua di Parma, Diptyque, Bond No.9 and Atelier Cologne.
Within the liquor area, spirits have been grouped into collections to make shopping the category easier and more accessible. At the heart of this section is a Destination Tasting Bar where customers can try before they buy. The bar incorporates a digital display fascia, which enables content and messages to be instantly tailored to suit the particular passenger profile at any given time.
Sunglasses are the main focus in the luxury area and are displayed using an entirely new illuminated shelving system, unique to Dufry. Over 1,200 styles from 42 different brands are offered, including new names such as British brand Taylor Morris.
The customer journey through the store space concludes with an extensive confectionery area showcasing Irish brand Butlers and strong British brands such as Fortnum & Mason, which is one of the best-selling food ranges at in the Heathrow Terminal 3 store.
More recognised brands such as M&Ms, Kinder and Cadbury are grouped together in a playful, interactive zone.
In addition to this main store, World Duty Free also has a newly refurbished 600sq m store in the Flight Connection Centre, which offers a range of beauty, liquor and confectionery products. The retailer also continues to operate its additional standalone store concepts in Heathrow T3, which include World of Whiskies, Sunglasses, Glorious Britain, Jo Malone London, and M.A.C.
