INTERNATIONAL. The Duty Free World Council (DFWC) has issued guidelines for the reopening of travel retail stores airside at airports, named as the ‘Global Retail Recovery Operating Protocols’.
These are based on responses from over 300 stakeholders to a survey about how stores should reopen “in a way that inspires customer confidence and prioritises the health and safety of passengers and staff”.
According to the Council the guidelines “reflect broad consensus from across the industry” but will vary depending on national regulations and the epidemiological assessment in each country.
A section on ‘Protection of customers’ issues recommendations on physical distancing and hygiene and cleaning. This encourages clear signage, separate entrances (where possible) for entering and exiting travellers, one-way systems and relocation or adaptation of promotional or product demonstration areas (if necessary) to avoid congregation of customers.
It also recommends using every second till point where these are located close together, and installing plexiglass barriers at tills. Stock replenishment should be done, where practical, outside opening hours.
Hygiene measures should include regular sanitisation of stores, and encouraging consumers to use contactless payment. It also recommends specific measures for certain categories. In P&C, only Beauty Advisors should handle testers and retailers should employ virtual try-on tools on websites, apps and in-store digital displays.
In wines & spirits, retailers should “employ digital technology to provide experiential engagement over physical sampling”.
In confectionery, “any samples must be in individually wrapped portions and offered singly to a customer respecting distancing rules”.
The guidelines focus on airport stores, but elements apply to other channels such as cruise, border and airlines, and further work is underway to address the differences between each, said the DFWC.
Considerations here include possible cabin delivery of purchases on cruiselines; service on demand or seat delivery/delivery on arrival onboard aircraft and temperature checking at border stores.
DFWC President Sarah Branquinho said: “The Duty Free World Council welcomes the clear guidelines issued by ICAO which allow for the re-opening of duty free & travel retail stores at airports, while ensuring passenger and colleague safety.
“The blueprint published today builds on the ICAO guidelines and provides more detailed recommendations for duty free and travel retail operators, based on widespread industry input. We have had an unprecedented level of industry engagement and I would like to thank all who have contributed to the consultation process.”
A copy of the blueprint is available to download from the DFWC website at https://dfworldcouncil.com/
The Duty Free World Council Academy will develop a training course to facilitate the implementation of the Protocols. The course will be made available to the industry, free of charge, in the near future.
