ASIA PACIFIC. APTRA, the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association, has completed the first three surveys of its consumer research programme and released the results exclusively to its members.
APTRA commissioned monthly duty free and travel retail surveys from research partner m1nd-set, which has a global database of participating consumers split over the nine major markets in Asia Pacific: Australia, China/Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
Each quarter, in addition to general market questions, there is a category focus, the first on fragrances & cosmetics and the second on wines & spirits.
Among the conclusions of the first monthly report is that almost half of travellers go spontaneously to duty free shops to see if there is something they might like to buy, and one in three travellers is looking for gifts.
m1nd-set also found that a consumer’s favourite airports are defined by the variety of duty free shops, followed by the service and the quality of cafes and restaurants, the lounge offer as well as the quantity of duty free shops. Singapore Changi Airport performs particularly well on all four of these aspects.
Looking specifically at consumer shopping behaviour in fragrances and cosmetics, m1nd-set found that one in four passengers does not compare prices at all but if they do compare, then it is mainly with department stores.
Half of the fragrances and cosmetics purchases are for gifting, and a quarter buy to give themselves a treat.
Customer service and sales staff
Nearly 7% are dissatisfied with the customer service and beauty advisors, and claim they would buy more if the advisors were more competent and friendly.
Turning to wine and spirits shopping behaviour, m1nd-set found that Australians are the most regular liquor buyers and Japanese purchase least often.
Yet 29% of Japanese consumers who buy liquor purchase it as a souvenir of their trip, which is significantly higher than other nationalities 39% of buyers would like to receive advice from sales people in liquor departments, with particularly strong demand for assistance from Chinese travellers.
Indicating just how confusing the duty and tax free system can be, especially with the current restrictions on liquids and gels, it was found that 27% think the regulations and information about liquid allowances should be clearer.
Commenting on the initial survey, APTRA President Sunil Tuli said: “APTRA Members now have access to invaluable independent research about consumer behaviour which they can use to inform product selection, staff training, store layout and many other aspects of their duty free and travel retail business. Even at this moment, consumers in the region are contributing their opinions and their experiences to our knowledge database. I commend this research to all stakeholders in the Asia Pacific region.”
The second wave of research currently under way covers consumer behaviour with regard to promotions and offers and a category focus on tobacco. Other areas will come under scrutiny in the coming months, including footfall, conversion, shopping baskets and spend, and a focus on confectionery.
For details of APTRA, and a membership application form, visit www.aptra.asia
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