In this opinion piece, ALTAVIA Travel Retail looks at the changing role of design in travel retail and explores the trends that will influence the industry tomorrow. This article is timed to coincide with the launch of a new series, Design Curated, from The Moodie Davitt Report, in association with ALTAVIA Travel Retail.
Having played an integral role within travel retail — a channel which has expanded rapidly over the last decade — it comes as no surprise that design is paramount to whatever project we undertake. Whether it be it the planning of a new airport, a retailer’s new store design or developing an engaging brand experience; design is at the heart of everything we do at ALTAVIA Travel Retail.
As we emerge from one of the most challenging periods for the global travel retail industry, we have a moment to reflect over the last 15 years. We’ve asked some of our longstanding clients what design has meant to them over the years and what role it will play in the future.
Then and Now
With a strong sense of nostalgia, all our partners have said that the channel has come a long way from the once obligatory medium of static lightboxes. Our airport operator, retailer and brand partners all stressed the ever-growing importance of retail design for the wider travel retail channel. This is what they had to say…
“Effective store design is an essential building block in fostering strong relationships with customers,” said Coty Merchandising Director Global Travel Retail Dolores Morard Rios.
“Design has a huge impact on customer experience. It has to be attractive and create an emotion,” said Lagardère Travel Retail Executive Vice President Food Service Global and Executive Vice President CSR Global Mélanie Guilldou.
Setur Duty Free Director of Strategic Planning & Investments Yasemin Kaya İleri added, “Store design is one of the most important aspects in retail, where it is the main touchpoint with the customer.”
“It is crucial,” said VINCI Airports Commercial Manager Geoffrey Piquet. “We attach extremely great importance to the integration of points of sale and their design, in terms of layout, materials, atmosphere, technology and entertainment.”
Over the years, there has been a significant shift towards more theatrical and sensorial experiences. The industry adapted to match traveller expectations, whose demands were driven by a strong desire to connect with shopping environments that showcased the brands they identify with. Buzzwords like ‘Sense of Place,’ ‘retailtainment,’ ‘experiential,’ ‘convenient,’ ‘brands showcase’ and ‘Instagrammable’ have increasingly defined travel retail in recent years.
Cyprus Airports Duty Free General Manager Andrew Baker commented, “Design needs to deliver a true sense of place for customers, one that is authentic and exciting as they journey through our shops. It also needs to offer retailtainment with various activities, not just focused on retailing but on creating a sense of ‘wow’ within the store. Design needs to leave the customer with a sense of wonder and good memories of their time in our shops.”
Despite the rise in the global passenger traffic in recent years, attracting the attention of passengers has become more and more challenging. While travellers have become increasingly shop-savvy, new technologies have shortened their attention spans. In a way, technology has given with one hand and taken away with another.
In 2020, the COVID-19 crisis has changed our beloved travel retail industry forever. In addition to the disastrous grounding of planes and the closure of many international borders, changing consumer behaviours have also forced us to adapt. Digital propositions became stronger and online activity accelerated, disengaging shoppers from brick & mortar retail.
In the Future
So, what role will design play and how will it shape the future of the travel retail channel? While our partners confirmed that several trends will continue beyond the pandemic and remain critical to delivering successful customer experiences, several new trends also come into play.
Multi-channel experiences and humanised technology
Together with our clients, we believe that in the post-Covid landscape, it will be more important than ever for design to drive traffic along a multitude of touchpoints. We need to provide unique experiences and support channel-exclusive products and price points that aren’t available online. We also need to embrace omnichannel strategies and begin communicating with passengers before they reach the airport.
“With the emergence of the online sales channel, store design will be important to attracting customers back to brick-and-mortar outlets and engaging the five senses,” said IPP Vietnam Travel Retail Chief Executive Officer Phillip Nguyen.
Morard Rios added, “Point of sale digitalisation has become our store design priority at Coty. Future store design will be omnichannel, connecting the online with the offline to engage consumers fully in their journey with our brands.”
Commercial creativity: Towards more open and flexible spaces
The future of design will facilitate a connection through free-flowing, open environments that guide, inform and provide a seamless, experiential journey that keep travellers at ease and engaged at every stage. It calls for a new approach to commercial master planning and integration between the various concessions, retail, F&B, services and entertainment.
Design will inform a flexible approach to evolving passenger profiles and integrate smart retail technology to attract and inform passengers, without being intrusive. It will reconnect with people to entice, delight and reinstate the mindset that the airport shopping experience is an enjoyable part of travel.
“Airports will evolve towards more open concepts, which by definition, require greater involvement of airports in the design,” Piquet added. “It will not be a store but a very open exhibition volume where everyone can consume what they want, when they want and where they want. Passengers will be able to use and test the products, view an exhibit and have coffee all in one place.”
GMR Airports Vice President and Head of Duty Free Nitin Mathur commented, “In the long term, store design will need to factor-in flexibility of space usage to evolving needs.”
Senior Travel Retail Consultant and former Business Development Manager at Aldeasa (now Dufry) Trine Kildevaeld said, “Store design will need to be flexible, in terms of product mix, structure and displays to capture the differentiation in passenger profiles throughout the day/week. It shall emerge with mixed concepts, supported by an open flow design, integrated as a natural part of the passenger journey.”
Sustainable, sensible and more conscious of global responsibility
Sustainability is something that all stakeholders agree is a must-have for travel retail design in the future. In addition, health and wellbeing products recorded some of the fastest retail growth in all channels globally, calling for better emphasis and considerations in the travel retail ecosystem.
Mathur added, “Design will play an integral role in creating spaces that not only fulfil their function but prioritise and enhance physical and mental health.”
Aer Rianta International Middle East Projects & Design Manager Tracy Ross added, “Design will need to be simpler, more cost effective & easier to implement. Designing with sustainability in mind, is going to be the key-driver in the selection of materials, fixtures & fittings.”
Commenting on sustainability, Guilldou added: “Store design will also need to have a positive impact on our carbon footprint reduction goals and to embody some of our CSR ambitions.”
Morard Rios added, “We also believe that stores design will become largely sustainable in the future built with material that is recyclable, modular and consuming less energy, while keeping to the premium and ultra-premium design standards of our brands.”
As a team of award-winning creative thinkers and designers, with unique perspective of the needs of the international travellers of the future, design is in the DNA of all we do at Altavia Travel Retail.
Our experts, based over three continents, have a deep understanding of local sense of place, traveller behaviours and cultures.
Note: For designs strategy and innovation, get in touch at contact@altavia-travelretail.com
*The Moodie Davitt Report has launched a new publication, Design Curated, in association with ALTAVIA Travel Retail. It features a diverse array of stories related to design in travel and retail and the airport commercial world. Please email Sinead@MoodieDavittReport.com to subscribe.
