With much sorrow, we report the recent passing of Alyson Reilly, a veteran of the travel retail business over many years with BAA/World Duty Free, Allders International and Harding, following a long battle with cancer.
Alyson is survived by her husband Morris and sister Sally. Alyson held several senior roles, including Global Perfumes Buyer at Allders International; and both Director of Buying and Director of Product Development & Strategy at World Duty Free (WDF). She was named one of the travel retail industry ‘Women of the Year’ in 2003 by The Moodie Davitt Report for her contribution to the business.
Alyson began her beauty career in the 1970s with UK High Street retailer House of Fraser. A six-year spell at Allders International (later The Nuance Group, now part of Dufry) stood her in good stead when the call came from BAA-owned World Duty Free in 1997. Alyson’s vision, energy and determination were to prove instrumental in driving forward the development of an internationally renowned World Duty Free beauty offer.
This tribute was driven by Alyson’s long-time colleagues Nigel Keal and Caroline South. Nigel, now Global Commercial Director at Dufry and President of the ETRC, started his career in the travel retail industry when he joined Allders International at the end of 1980s, before moving to World Duty Free in 1999 as Head of Beauty.
Caroline was Fragrance and Cosmetics Buyer at Allders International between 1985 and 1990 before founding her own company Caroline South & Associates, which flourishes to this day, in 1991.
Together, Nigel and Caroline wrote: “It is with great sadness that we have to inform you that Alyson Reilly recently passed away after a tough battle with illness. She was our inspirational boss for a number of years, both at Allders International and World Duty Free.
“From the beginning she proved herself to be a quick thinker, strong and tenacious with a wicked sense of humour. Utilising her previous high street experience, she made her voice heard in a predominantly masculine environment to increase beauty as a category and to raise the overall standards in travel retail.
“Brands respected her, Allders and World Duty Free cherished her, but most of all we loved her. Caroline – ‘for teaching me to be the best version of myself I could be, and for making the job fun every day’; and Nigel – ‘For teaching me everything about the travel retail beauty business (as well as breeding and showing dogs) and taking a risk on me to follow in her footsteps at World Duty Free.’ She loved our industry, R.I.P Dear Alyson, you will be greatly missed.”
Other former colleagues Liz Woodland, Bethan Williams, and Mark Riches added their tributes below. If you would like to contribute, please add your comments to the DISQUS platform below – we will send them on to Alyson’s loved ones.
Travel retail beauty specialist Bethan Williams, who worked with Alyson ats World Duty Free Group for three years from 1998, said: “We cherished those early days at WDF, just 12 of us in our new office – a not so glamorous Porta Cabin off the runway at Heathrow
“What an unlikely couple we were – an Irish, feisty, dog-loving, highly experienced beauty exec, combined with a young, ambitious, Welsh, ex-Harrodian – eager to learn all she could from this well-respected (often feared) force that was Alyson Reilly – ‘The Queen of Beauty.’
“With our empty piece of paper but heaps of passion and drive we started to craft our vision. ‘Let’s be adventurous; be bold and challenge the status quo and let’s make the local markets take note of the fabulous dynamic travel retail channel’ – Alyson was on a mission and there was no stopping her!
“As WDF developed and we took over Heathrow and Gatwick, our twosome became a threesome and foursome when the enthusiastic, eyes wide open, Hilary Prescott and soon after Lynne Phillips Jenkins joined that team of Alyson’s.
“She called us her Golden Girls but a TR veteran with the initials NK nicknamed us her 3 witches… together we unpacked boxes in the warehouse as she insisted we support the ops team with every store opening – even at 4a.m in the morning – and on many occasions we worked through the night only to celebrate with her favourite tipple – an ice cold G&T. We worked hard and played hard!
“Such precious and happy memories. I hope Alyson can hear me one last time as I hold my hands up high to thank her.”
Consulting for Retail owner Liz Woodland (former colleague at Allders International) said: “I heard about Alyson Reilly before I met her: we were both going to be Group Buyers for Allders International and I was warned that she was a fierce negotiator. We would both be challenging the board over allocation of space (Alyson in charge of P&C and I was Group Fashion Buyer) in new store builds, and it was true that we defended our categories energetically!
“Alyson was a talented negotiator and was respected by her suppliers. She was also such fun to be with, and I thoroughly enjoyed working with her. I think that she inspired the team that worked for her; many are well known in our industry today, with excellent reputations of their own.
“At a time when senior professionals in the industry were rarely women, Alyson broke down barriers for future female professionals. I will miss her.”
Mark Riches (long-time CEO of World Duty Free) commented: “I was very sad to hear that Alyson has passed away. She was one of the first people I met when I first joined World Duty Free Group. She made her mind up pretty quickly that I knew nothing about the duty free business and even less about the beauty business! She made it her priority to educate me and whisked me off to Cannes to expose me to the industry. The first meeting was in a café on the beach and I naturally warmed to her and the industry very quickly!
“She was incredibly knowledgeable about the category, had a huge network and could be fearsome and friendly at the same time. She was wonderfully irreverent, and the bigger the ego the more she took on the challenge. I remember after a particularly frustrating meeting with a very big ego, she announced loudly that ‘She didn’t know why things were so difficult as perfume, after all, is 90% water!’
“She trained a generation of buyers who are in her debt. Alyson was instrumental in helping build the foundation for the beauty industry as we know it today. Inquisitive, constantly challenging, and entrepreneurial, she was not low maintenance! Alyson galvanised my passion for the category, and I am eternally grateful to her for tutoring me so well.
“Many of today’s generation may not know the name Alyson Reilly but she was a true ‘Hall of Famer’ and leaves a huge legacy in the industry. Those of us who were lucky enough to work with her will have very fond memories and never forget her.”
Martin Moodie writes: I got to know Alyson in the 1990s when she was at World Duty Free. She was a no-nonsense tough talker, a bit daunting on first meeting but with a big soft heart. She always made time for me and for my long-time Beauty Editor Rebecca Mann, who thought of her fondly. Through Facebook, Alyson was in constant and concerned touch with me during my own battle with cancer ten years ago, neither of us knowing that the roles would be cruelly reversed in the years ahead. She bore the strain and weariness of cancer treatment with amazing fortitude, good spirit and humour and never lost her capacity to worry about others more than herself. She will leave a hole in many people’s hearts.
In one of her last Facebook posts, Alyson wrote on 27 March: “I don’t want to appear sorry for myself. In the face of the global crisis facing everyone today I am just one person. I just wanted to celebrate that I have lasted three years. Stay safe everyone and stay at home.
“Three years ago today I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Deemed to be ‘operable and curable’ at the time, sadly this is now not the case. But the NHS army of surgeons, nurses, support staff, and numerous others, has worked long and hard to give me a comfortable quality of life, for which I will always be grateful. I have the most wonderful circle of family and friends who have supported me through thick and thin – too many to name individually – and of course my husband and my beloved dogs. Thank you all for caring so much.”
Farewell Alyson, a rich human spirit. The Queen of Beauty. You will be remembered and greatly missed.
