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“This is the result of 12 months of planning, with the aim of creating a flagship space that would attract some of the biggest names in luxury.“ |
Brian Woodhead Commercial Director Heathrow Airport |
UK. London Heathrow Airport will open a new luxury goods environment in expanded space at Terminal 5 by Christmas. It will house leading brand names including Louis Vuitton (as reported, the company’s first airport store in Europe and second worldwide), Cartier and Bottega Veneta, as well as new Smythson, Burberry and Paul Smith concepts. The area will also feature a Fortnum & Mason’s Champagne bar.
Heathrow Commercial Director Brian Woodhead confirmed details of the T5 project in an interview with The Moodie Report, to appear with our Cannes Print Edition.
Woodhead said: “Over the past months we have been working on the next stage for T5, keeping in mind the benchmark the terminal has already set for service and retail. Over Christmas, we will unveil a new configuration on the south side of the terminal.
“It is the result of 12 months of planning with the aim of creating a flagship space that would attract some of the biggest names in luxury while strengthening Terminal 5’s already considerable offer. As a passenger you will notice more open spaces, enabling you to move easily through the terminal, as well as some new brands which we hope will particularly respond to the demand we have seen from emerging markets for luxury goods.”
Heathrow had flagged up plans for the T5 luxury goods investment in its interim results in July. At the time, it said this would be “one of the key initiatives to further develop Heathrow’s award-winning retail activities and deliver growth in retail income.”
Woodhead also hailed the performance of Heathrow’s new Terminal 2, opened in June.
“Sales across all of our luxury stores have been encouraging and Burberry in particular is performing well with international visitors,” he said.
Woodhead noted that the airport’s Personal Shopper service is especially relevant to the luxury business. This service was extended in August with the opening of a world-first personal shopping lounge at T2. The suite brings together products from over 400 outlets in an area reserved for private consultations.
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By Christmas, Heathrow T5 will feature a new-look luxury goods space |
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“Heathrow’s focus now is on delivering a more personalised experience for our customers which draws on the range of brands at the airport as well as our insight into global trends,” said Woodhead. “Customers can book online to secure an appointment with a Personal Shopper who speaks their language and relax in a lounge while a curated selection of Heathrow’s shops is presented to them.
“Increasingly, customers are keeping in close contact with their Personal Shopper while they travel, ensuring they know when exclusives or favourite products arrive at Heathrow in time for their next arrival.”
The company said that the personal shopping service is most popular with customers from Nigeria, China, Brazil, USA and Mexico. Many of these use the service to pre-brief a stylist on their size, preferences and concerns before they arrive at the airport and [those using the Personal Shopper service] spend more than £1,200 on each visit to Heathrow, said Woodhead.
*The full interview with Brian Woodhead will feature in a special Category Insight report, dedicated to luxury goods, available with our October Print Edition (out at TFWA World Exhibition).
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World first: Heathrow T2’s Personal Shopping lounge |
