Our regular feature, brought to you in association with Duty Free Global from Ireland, celebrates memorable scenes, moments, launches and campaigns related to the global aviation and travel retail sphere.
AUSTRALIA. Our latest image selection comes from Lotte Duty Free’s main departures duty-free outlet at Melbourne Airport, with its blend of local, national and regional wines & spirits to the fore.
The vast store was visited by The Moodie Davitt Report President Dermot Davitt on leaving Australia after taking part in the hugely successful Australian Airports Association’s Retail & Commercial Forum in Sydney last week, followed by a trip to Melbourne for the high-octane, nail-biting Australia versus British & Irish Lions Test Match on Saturday.
The large video screen that welcomes departing travellers to the Lotte Duty Free departures store is being well deployed to showcase an array of brand launches and campaigns, as well as services such as Alipay payment options (see images above).
The drinks zone begins with an apt promotion for Grant Burge wines from new and powerful global wine company Vinarchy, and a special tin released to coincide with the high-profile Australia-Lions series, a call to action for the many departing Lions fans in the terminal.
A Melbourne Airport-exclusive pack leads a big Cointreau drive in the store, with video, a tasting bar and repeat gondolas dotted throughout. That’s not the only stop point in the category: Aberlour Scotch whisky and Casamigos Tequila also take prominent branded positions along the route.
Premium Tequila more widely presents well with a good back wall selection that reflects the surge in consumer interest over recent years. Gin, led by a mix of Australian, New Zealand (including Strange Nature) and global names features in a diverse offering that satisfies most demand here.
Price is a crucial element in the messaging given the importance of Australia and New Zealand spend in duty free, with ‘two for’ and three for’ value deals widespread and repeated along the shopper journey.
The duty-free business is not easy in this market today, but the breadth of wines & spirits offers and the prominence of high-profile promotional spaces shows how brands continue to value the showcase it represents in front of a hugely diverse international departures audience at Melbourne Airport. ✈
