UK. “Our best execution ever.” That’s how World Duty Free Group (WDFG) Director of Retail Operations Fred Creighton described the new 2,850sq m walk-through store at London Stansted Airport, which was formally opened earlier today (the store began trading on 18 July).
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Officially open for business: World Duty Free Group’s new flagship store at London Stansted |
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Tribute group Walk Like A Man serenade shoppers at the official opening |
The new flagship store underpins an in-depth overhaul of Stansted’s entire retail and F&B portfolio. As previously reported, London’s third largest airport is undergoing an £80 million terminal transformation, overseen by owners Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which acquired London Stansted in 2013.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, outgoing WDFG CEO José Maria Palencia noted: “We are very happy to be at the opening of this fantastic store”¦and to be a part of this project. This is not just a store, it’s part of a very strong statement from MAG, and we are proud to be a small but active part of it.”
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[The Moodie Podcast: MAG’s Beth Brewster on why Stansted is the biggest and the best]
MAG Chief Executive Charlie Cornish added: “This is a fantastic site, and a great facility. We think it’s one of the best in Europe, and certainly the best in the UK.”
The new store is WDFG’s biggest walkthrough, not just in the UK, but within the group as a whole. And as statements go, it speaks volumes – not just about MAG’s vision for London Stansted, but also about WDFG’s ability to deliver it.
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WDFG’s new Concierge Desk is located prominently at the store entrance |
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The showpiece of the new walkthrough store is the 1,126sq m beauty area |
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Jo Malone is one of many beauty brands making its Stansted debut |
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The Dior boutique is the first such design within European travel retail |
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Chanel’s upscale Espace concept proves perennially popular |
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A global first from Burberry; the installation showcases its make-up and fragrance portfolio |
“We have been working on walkthrough stores for the past ten years,” observed Creighton. “And this is the most commercial layout we have ever created. We have focused on products and categories that appeal to Stansted’s passenger profile, which is very different from what you will see at, say, London Heathrow. And we have constructed a distinctive S-shaped walkway, which ensures every single passenger walks past every single outlet.”
[The Moodie Podcast: World Duty Free Group’s Debbie Ansell on a new benchmark in beauty]
He added: “We worked in close partnership with MAG to develop a store that would take airport shopping to the next level and I think that has certainly been achieved here in Stansted.”
Featured prominently at the store entrance is WDFG’s new Concierge Desk, which made its debut last week at London Heathrow’s new Terminal 2. “This allows us to raise our service levels even higher,” explained Creighton. “It helps us to relax, help and inform our passengers, not just about the store, but about anything at all to do with the airport.”
The Concierge Desk incorporates services such as “Reserve & Collect”, an in-store personal shopping service, interactive screens which enable passengers to see promotions and product recommendations, and a complimentary gift wrapping service.
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The Destination Bar can be updated to tailor sampling activities throughout the day |
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Liquor is another anchor category at London Stansted, covering 253sq m of space |
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Stansted houses the largest World of Whiskies shop-in-shop in the WDFG estate |
The showpiece of the new store is the 1,126sq m beauty area, which is light, bright and beautiful to behold. The extensive offer features striking personalisations and a vast number of ‘firsts’, in terms of brands carried, the product selection available, or the way they are portrayed. Making their debut at Stansted are Jo Malone, Sisley, Kiehl’s (complete with chandelier), Smashbox, Ciaté, Trussardi, Dsquared2, bareMinerals and Miller Harris.
Chanel’s eye-catching Espace concept features, as does a new boutique installation by Dior – the first such design in European travel retail. Burberry has delivered up a global first, in the form of a concept boutique that showcases the brand’s upscale make-up collection, in addition to its fragrance portfolio.
“This is probably one of my perfect models for a beauty store,” noted WDFG Head of Beauty UK Debbie Ansell. “It’s a walkthrough, with no bad space. Every brand is visible to passengers walking through.”
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Familiar names such as Swarovski, Links and Pandora anchor the Stansted jewellery offer |
Novelties are highlighted at the front of the store, via “Must Have” tables. WDFG’s value proposition is also highlighted at the entrance, with the “40% off fragrance” message flagged prominently on the side wall. Further within the store are two sizeable, separate promotion areas, which are rotated every three weeks. Travel retail exclusives are a key focus point, with a significant dedicated area.
Liquor is another anchor category, covering 253sq m of space which includes the largest World of Whiskies shop-in-shop in the WDFG estate. There are strong personalisations from leading brands such as Jack Daniels, Johnnie Walker, Hendricks, Smirnoff, Baileys, Bombay Sapphire, Bacardi and Ciroc. Interestingly, Champagne is a strong performer at London Stansted, with more premium offerings from the Moet Hennessy portfolio growing in popularity. Wine is another promising category.
“At present we have a good balance between value and premium,” explained WDFG Liquor Category Manager UK Nigel Sandals. “But we are looking to upweight our wine focus. We have recently introduced Penfolds, which is doing very well. Spanish wines are very popular, particularly with our Norwegian passengers.”
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The Luxury area includes WDFG’s largest watches space to date |
As at Heathrow T2, there is a Destination Bar complete with digital fascia, which can be updated and refreshed to tailor sampling opportunities throughout the day according to the customer profile.
Covering 290sq m, the Luxury area is an upscale installation that includes WDFG’s largest space to date that is dedicated to premium watches (70sq m featuring 25 brands). This area includes a comfortable consultation area, where passengers can browse timepieces from brands such as Tag Heuer, Gucci, Montblanc and Baume & Mercier.
“Our top-priced watch retails at £6,800, so the environment needs to be conducive to that sort of spend,” noted WDFG Watch Buyer Trupti Shah.
Designer brands such as Michael Kors, Diesel and Marc by Marc Jacobs are also available, via their own shop-in-shop areas. In line with WDFG’s ambition to provide products for every pocket, entry level brands, such as Sekonda, are also available, with price-points starting from £19.99.
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WDFG’s largest sunglasses store to date carries more than 40 different brands |
Familiar names such as Swarovski, Links and Pandora anchor the jewellery offer. An extensive Michael Kors collection is also available.
Sunglasses shine at London Stansted, merchandised in a striking white, backlit area that constitutes WDFG’s largest sunglasses store to date. There are 2,186 sunglasses on show, and 45 different brands, with price-points ranging from £20-400. Highlights include an eye-catching Ray-Ban personalisation and a dedicated gondola for children’s models.
The confectionery/food area, spanning 120sq m, is located towards the end of the store, next to the till area – ideal for such an impulse category, according to Category Buying Manager – Food, UK Tim Sargent. “The amount of space is brilliant,” he confirmed, “but the quality of the space is equally important. It has allowed us to offer a great mix of confectionery and deli and implement key best practice fundamentals.” The area also includes its own event space.
British brands such as Fortnum & Mason, The London Tea Company and Twinings help to deliver that all-important Sense of Place, which has been taken one step further by the inclusion of local Essex brands such as Tiptree jam and Cole’s Puddings, which have developed exclusive product lines for WDFG.
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The 120sq m confectionery & food area incorporates its own events space |
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British brands, including local Essex names, help to deliver a Sense of Place | |
Digital entertainment technologies are incorporated throughout the store, reinforced by WDFG’s trademark Contentainment area, featuring a multi-screen digital wall that extends into a digital canopy above the expo space.
In addition, distinct audio zones throughout the store allow music and messages to be tailored, targeting different passenger demographics and nationalities at different times of the day. Interactive technologies, digital point of sales and information tools are sited in all category areas including beauty, liquor and luxury, to help engage and inform travellers in an accessible and relevant way. “With every store, we keep on trying to move things on,” Creighton underlined. “Digital is key to this.”
Of the size and space available, he observed: “Everything has to have a return. This store gives us an optimum amount of space to deliver the WDF brand, and the brands that are here, presented in a really great fashion. What’s also important is the customer experience; if we make this store much bigger, it becomes harder to navigate. Ultimately we are not a department store; we are an airport. And there are some people who don’t want to purchase, so you have to get that balance right. But [in terms of space] this is where we want it to be today.”
MAG Retail Director Beth Brewster stated candidly: “What we had before was sub-optimal and needed to be changed”¦When we started working on this project with WDFG, I had a vision, Fred had a vision, and during one of our energetic conversations, he told me: ‘This one will be the best.’ And I replied, ‘I don’t just want the best, I want the biggest as well.’ And the good news is, this store is both. And it is the result of a real team effort. We don’t always agree; but we always align on what we want the end result to be. And I think this is fabulous.”
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WDFG’s trademark Contentainment area continues to spearhead in-store digital technology |
Brewster added: “This is a massive milestone for Stansted Airport”¦ the first one was opening [the relocated] Security before Christmas. This is the second, and one of the biggest changes. By the time we have finished the airport lounge will have doubled.”
She concluded: “The next milestone will come when we open our new F&B outlets. There will be 12 new units, some of which will open before Christmas, and the rest afterwards. The last stage is the final 16 retail units, which are out for tender at the moment but close on Friday 3 October. So far we have over 80 brands interested, which is a nice headache to have.”
