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A ribbon cutting ceremony involving senior figures from WDFG, Dufry and Heathrow Airport was held today to mark the opening of the Heathrow T5 store |
UK. Improving navigation and product range were the key considerations for World Duty Free Group (WDFG) as it officially unveiled an extensive redesign of its flagship tax and duty free store at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.
The company said all of its future developments would be modelled on this terminal, which has been designed to incorporate the latest in technologies and retail design.
“It was seven years ago that Heathrow Terminal 5 became operational, and WDFG’s store became a well-known benchmark across the industry,” said WDFG CEO Eugenio Andrades. “We have now focused on taking it to yet another level in terms of the world class airport shopping experience, the environment and the product range that we offer to our customers. This is a store that can justly own its flagship status.”
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The 2,850sq m beauty area features a plethora of new brands |
Heathrow Airport Commercial Director Brian Woodhead said: “Heathrow is incredibly proud of Terminal 5 having been awarded “˜best airport terminal in the world’ four years in a row and we are delighted to have a World Duty Free store that matches Heathrow’s ambition for our customers. We are excited about customers visiting this store for the first time and hope that they will be as delighted with this new shopping experience as we are.”
WDFG said the store typically handles more than 35,000 transactions each week, with 15 million passengers currently departing from the terminal each year.
Among the highlights of the redesign are High Street department store style windows which show off key brands in the beauty store and can be seen from the terminal seating area. Head of Beauty, UK Debbie Ansell describes the windows as a first for the business and a “big coup”.
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High Street style window displays are a first for WDFG and attract attention to the store |
Another visual highlight is a chandelier suspended at the store’s front entrance in the beauty area, which is made up of more than 53,000 individual Austrian crystals and serves as an “iconic, “˜did you see that'” piece, according to Chief Operating Officer for UK and Northern Europe Fred Creighton.
The 2,850sq m beauty store has seen the most change as a result of the redesign, and now features many new brands such as Nars, Urban Decay, Burberry and Gucci Cosmetics, with the latter only being available directly from Gucci boutiques, outside of Heathrow Terminal 5. Brands that were previously only available in the domestic market in premium department stores can also be seen, such as niche fragrance houses Memo, Alaïa and Kilian. In October, premium hair care brand Aveda will also join the WDFG brand portfolio, with an exclusive UK travel retail counter in Terminal 5.
A range of services and complimentary “˜express’ beauty treatments are also offered, including new make-up looks, skincare consultations, mini facials and massages. More than 40 till points, including 20 handheld tills, can be found in the beauty area.
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British singer-songwriter Ben Montague was playing at the store to mark the official opening |
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Overlapping HD screens are key to a new expo space which helps highlight brands |
WDFG’s “˜Contentainment’ concept has two large “˜expo’ spaces in each of the leading category areas – beauty and liquor. They feature a configuration of overlapping HD screens designed to create a feeling of depth, synchronised with an LED surround made of 200 high resolution LED tiles, floor and ceiling lighting and dedicated audio “to create an immersive experience for passengers”, according to WDFG. Since the redevelopment, brands such as Belvedere, Burberry, Chanel and Dior have worked with WDFG to experiential digital marketing and promotional activity within the store.
The second half of the flagship store, located across the main walkway, showcases liquor, confectionery and foods. A key attraction of the 506sq m liquor area is a tasting bar, which although located in the middle of the store “catches people’s eyes as they enter the terminal down the escalator,” according to Buying Manager Liquor, UK Nigel Sandals.
It features a digital fascia that can be updated three times a day and transformed in five minutes, tailoring messaging to different customer profiles at varying times throughout the day. Personalisations and feature walls from brands such as Smirnoff, Baileys, Hendrick’s, Absolut, Finlandia, Belvedere, Cîroc and Remy Martin are present.
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The tasting bar can be transformed up to three times a day |
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The World of Whiskies concept store puts a focus on travel retail exclusives |
The liquor area leads into WDFG’s whisky concept store “˜World of Whiskies’. Beneath its barrel-vaulted ceiling, which combines offerings from famous distilleries and boutique brands, the area places emphasis on complimentary tastings of whiskies and the availability of specialist store staff.
The food and confectionery area has also been completely revamped, and WDFG says it is now repositioned as the luxury shopping destination for this product category at the airport. The Fortnum & Mason bar has a strong presence while branded units for Cadbury, Walkers and Twinings also create strong focal points. The focus is on creating a sense of “˜Britishness’, which appeals particularly to US and Indian passengers.
Plasma screens within the personalised wall bays help capture the attention of customers and highlight what’s available in store.
The last stage of the refurbishment of WDFG’s presence in Terminal 5 will be the completion of a luxury area on the upper level in January 2016. The increased floor area for this category will be fitted out to a high specification and will showcase extensive ranges of sunglasses, watches and jewellery, according to the company.
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Fortnum & Mason is a popular brand for its sense of ‘Britishness’ |
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Colourful spools of thread draw attention to the Givenchy counter |
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Sales turnover in the Jo Malone outlet is its largest anywhere in the world – not just travel retail |
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The entrance to WDFG’s flagship beauty store |
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Across the walkway is the entrance to the liquor, confectionery and foods store |
