CAPA launches new Indian market study; special offer for Moodie readers

INDIA. The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) has announced plans to produce the India Travel Retail Report, a study providing strategic insights into the Indian market and incorporating the largest ever survey of passengers, retailers, global brands and airport operators. The report is being published in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) and a special discount of US$2,500 off the official price is available to readers of The Moodie Report (click on icon for details).

“India is a relatively new travel retail market with enormous potential – but it is different,” CAPA Chief Executive South Asia Kapil Kaul explained. “Moreover, our research suggests that the global travel retail industry does not have a clear sense of the structure and direction of the Indian market. This is not surprising; the market is complex, unique and undergoing rapid change. But the opportunities are immense, not only in duty free, but also duty paid, general retail, food & beverage and inflight sales.

“For any business involved in travel retail this is a market that cannot be ignored,” Kaul stressed. India’s economy is growing at +9% per annum, with double-digit passenger traffic growth, a multi-billion dollar airport modernisation programme and an increasingly sophisticated Indian traveller. “These features make this one of the most exciting opportunities in global retail,” he said.

Click here to download the India Travel Retail Report and special readers’ offer

The report includes ten-year traffic and retail revenue forecasts for the metro airports, and CAPA estimates India’s airports will handle around 450 million passengers annually by 2020, making it the third largest market in the world.

India’s retail profile is complex as consumer behaviours evolve rapidly, driven by demographic and socioeconomic developments. Increasing urbanisation, the influence of the media, changes in tastes and aspirations brought about by increasing wealth, generational shifts in attitudes towards consumption and the influx of millions of first-time travellers, all contribute to driving unique changes to challenge the travel retail industry.

Broader trends in the aviation industry – such as the growth of low cost airlines, airport privatisation, regulatory and fiscal issues, and the ability for industry stakeholders to work together – also have an important influence on retail activity, each addressed in the report.

Kaul stated: “We set out to conduct the most comprehensive study ever performed in the Indian market. It is designed to provide practical analysis to help investors understand the sector and develop effective business plans.

“Our consumer survey will cover more than 8,000 passengers across India’s ten largest cities to gain a full understanding of passenger behaviour. Additional focus group analysis will highlight emerging segments such as first-time travellers, family groups, female travellers, children and youth, and the premium passenger. This is complemented by an extensive industry consultation programme and a detailed study of the structural issues that will drive Indian travel retail.

“We will reveal for the first time an accurate and realistic picture of the outlook for the travel retail sector in India,” Kaul concluded.

The CAPA India Travel Retail Report will be released on 30 September. Early bird rates are available for orders and payments received before 30 June, with significant additional discounts for readers of The Moodie Report.

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