FRANCE. Le Marché Duty Free, the first overseas venture of Ospree Duty Free (by Mumbai Travel Retail Limited/MTRL) today (4 June) officially launched its new-look store in Calais.
The travel retailer celebrated the launch with key business partners in what Ospree described as a collaborative and insight-based two-year journey with LeShuttle.
Le Marché Duty Free and LeShuttle Management have worked together to offer a unique customer proposition to travellers using LeShuttle trains between Calais and Folkestone, focused on offering the best value, choice and retail experience at the LeShuttle terminal in Coquelles, Calais.
The new store concept has been driven by the strategic direction set by LeShuttle – “We want to take our offering to the next level as an experiential brand rather than just functional.”
The new store takes the sense of place of Calais and the surrounding regions as its inspiration. It is anchored by a central feature rotunda titled ‘A Taste of France’ where local artisan products are sold and experiences made in a tailored activation programme.
This forms part of what Ospree described as a uniquely immersive retail experience built around the key product pillars – beauty, spirits, wines, food and technology – all focused on customers experiencing the brands and benefitting from great value.
“We began our journey by understanding a sense of place around the region of Pas de Calais,” said an Ospree Duty Free spokesperson.
“As this is our first European Duty Free Shop it was important that we not only worked with our landlord partner, Le Shuttle, and based the concept on customer insight but also built the shop around our five core values of Passion, People, Agility, Trust and Integrity.”
Operated by MTRL – a joint venture between Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) and Flemingo Travel Retail – Le Marché Duty Free has achieved impressive double-digit year-on-year growth since winning the contract in 2024, the company said.
“This launch milestone underscores the strength of Ospree Duty Free’s collaborative strategic retail approach, marketing and customer engagement, and robust category management,” it observed.
“All of which have been bolstered by LeShuttle’s continuous partnership through planning and execution that makes the retail proposition a seamless offering to the LeShuttle strategy.”
Driving growth through operational excellence, innovation and expansion
The successful operational transition from the incumbent partner was executed in record time, reaffirming Ospree Duty Free’s agility and adaptability, the company said.
Within three months of ownership the company had further expanded the retail offering by launching two additional retail points.
One is dedicated to the Eurotunnel teams and another caterer specifically to freight drivers travelling to the UK which supports the LeShuttle freight strategy. Le Marché is currently the only duty-free shop available to all freight drivers in both the UK and France using LeShuttle.
A new warehouse opened in November 2024, enhancing Le Marché’s capacity to meet growing demand through enhanced stock control, reduced stockouts and consistent product availability.
Additionally, a people transition plan has delivered comprehensive training and development to the in-store teams to ensure best-in-class customer service.
“My team and I are proud to be part of this stunning new store. The rapid and seamless transition of operations, coupled with our commitment to customer-centric offerings, has positioned us for sustained growth,” said the Le Marché Duty Free spokesperson.
LeShuttle has been deeply involved in the planning and execution of duty-free retail enhancements, collaboratively working with Le Marché Commercial leaders to ensure the retail proposition aligns with their customer needs.
The buying power of Ospree, coupled with local buying and knowledge – including an expertly curated selection of perfumes & cosmetics, liquor and tobacco coupled with new category introduction such as technology and Indian curated ranges as well as an extended range of local wines and consumables – has played a pivotal role in driving growth.
The launch of unique product offerings, competitive pricing strategies, and exclusive category expansions coupled with driving everyday best value for the core UK customer have significantly enhanced the customer shopping experience, Ospree Duty Free said.
Strategic investments and bright prospects
Beyond strengthening its current operations, Le Marché Duty Free is also launching an online pre-order platform for LeShuttle passengers and is working with their business partners to add value to the retail and marketing programmes for both the main and freight shops.
“With our expansion at the LeShuttle site, we are not just transforming the shopping experience for customers but also setting new benchmarks for the travel retail industry. Our business model of commitment to innovation, customer focus and operational excellence continues to drive us forward,” said the Ospree Duty Free spokesperson.
A vision for European expansion
The success of Le Marché Duty Free marks a significant step in Ospree Duty Free’s broader vision to expand across Europe and the UK, the company said. LeShuttle’s strategic partnership with MTRL has played a crucial role in shaping the duty-free retail landscape in Calais, Ospree Duty Free added.
“The reintroduction of duty-free services for passengers travelling to the UK has created a compelling opportunity to redefine engagement and enhance the retail experience,” said Eurotunnel, LeShuttle Chief Commercial Officer Deborah Merrens.
“The Le Marché and LeShuttle teams have worked closely together to deliver exceptional results, ensuring a seamless shopping experience for customers. Our collaboration with Ospree (Mumbai Travel Retail Limited) marks an exciting new chapter, and we look forward with confidence to the future of this partnership.”
A future-ready retail destination
Le Marché Duty Free said it is committed to redefining the duty-free landscape by delivering best-in-class products, competitive pricing and an enhanced shopping experience.
As part of this, many brands have been given dedicated experiential space. Recent activations have included ‘The Art of Cheese Making’ and local wines under the umbrella banner of ‘Le Marché Presents’.
Many more activations and brand launches are set to take place throughout 2026.
As the brand continues to expand its footprint, its vision aligns with Ospree Duty Free’s long-term strategy to be a “significant leader” in global and more specifically European travel retail.
About Ospree Duty Free
Ospree Duty Free, previously Mumbai Duty Free, is the flagship brand of Mumbai Travel Retail Limited, India’s largest duty-free retailer.
With a presence across airports in India (Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mangaluru and Thiruvananthapuram) and internationally, the company is gearing up ambitiously for continued expansion. 🛳️
