As a key player in travel retail for more than 30 years, Aerovía Group has built a reputation for connecting international brands with duty-free and travel retail markets worldwide. Its business unit, Export Online, leverages this long-standing expertise to help brands navigate complex distribution channels and expand their reach.
In an exclusive interview with The Moodie Davitt Report, Export Online President Miguel Constantino outlines how the company’s platform, Sell USA Direct, empowers brands with greater control, efficiency and market access in the USA.
Ecommerce and evolving market demands are driving rapid transformation in travel retail, prompting businesses to rethink their strategies.
To support brands navigating these shifts, Export Online, the digital arm of Aerovía Group, has rebranded its platform as Sell USA Direct, offering more efficient and transparent supply solutions.
Export Online President Miguel Constantino said, “Our long-standing presence in this business speaks to our ability to navigate the many shifts in consumer behaviour and shopping trends over time.
“These have typically presented significant challenges for this industry, but we’ve consistently embraced the new trends, stayed ahead of market expectations and modernised our services constantly to remain relevant.
“This flexibility has been key to building a sustainable and modern business that meets the needs of today’s customers while drawing on the strength from our decades of experience.”
For Export Online, this innovation represents the next phase in more than 30 years of travel retail experience. Since 1992, Aerovía Group has distributed products that became global duty-free bestsellers, including Franklin pocket-sized multilingual translators, Lexibook electronic toys and Balanzza digital luggage scales.
Export Online gradually evolved as a supporting channel, helping international brands stay ahead in the digital marketplace.
Recognising a key challenge in travel retail, the company created Sell USA Direct to help international brands navigate the complexities of entering the US market.
The platform allows direct delivery to retailers while keeping inventory in a centralised, smart warehouse to eliminate intermediaries, simplify logistics and provide full inventory control.
It allows brands to manage pricing and online sales directly, while accessing smart warehouse storage, diverse logistics options, marketing tools and real-time inventory tracking. The platform also ensures full compliance with US accounting, tax and regulatory requirements, enabling more efficient operations and faster market entry.
Brands benefit from reduced overheads, more flexible operations and accelerated growth, while consumers enjoy a seamless shopping experience across channels.
For many European brands supported by Aerovía Group in duty free, Export Online has emerged as a key channel to sell online while preserving brand exclusivity. French brand Be Relax, for example, uses the platform to expand its US presence.
With the pace of digital transformation increasing over the years, the platform has continually adapted to the evolving needs of travel retail.
Constantino explained, “Initially, our focus was more traditional, centered around supporting brand visibility and presence in physical retail spaces.
“However, as online shopping and international commerce surged, and particularly since its boom in 2020, we expanded our services to help international brands enter and operate directly in the domestic US market via major online marketplaces.
“We have invested and continue to invest in digital infrastructure, optimising logistics for ecommerce and offering data-driven strategies that help brands scale efficiently. This has enabled us to stay ahead of trends and meet the growing demand for more agile and omnichannel retail solutions in the travel and duty-free space.”
Reflecting its ongoing innovation, the company is set to launch a US ecommerce website powered by Shopify, complementing the brands’ existing offerings through their dedicated Amazon stores.
Export Online ensures these stores remain up-to-date and drives brand advertising, establishing their Amazon stores as the top online sales channel in the USA.
Looking ahead, Sell USA Direct is strategically positioned to thrive amid the updated US import tariffs. By ensuring all orders are shipped and delivered domestically, door-to-door, it future-proofs buyers against unpredictable international surcharges and rising import fees.
The platform connects brands straight to duty-free and travel retail partners, ensuring transparent pricing and efficient cooperation, while simplifying market entry.
Find out more by connecting with the team at info@export-online.net ✈
