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The interactive liquor tasting bar greets passengers to the new store |
UK. World Duty Free Group has reported that its new 30,000sq ft walkthrough store at London Gatwick Airport South Terminal has been performing ahead of expectations since it opened on 20 July.
The store was hailed by WDFG Chief Executive Officer José Maria Palencia as a “consumer playground” – setting a new level of interactivity and engagement with passengers.
WDFG presented the new store to trade media this afternoon (13 September) – The Moodie Report will publish full multimedia coverage, including video and podcasts, online next week.
The outlet also has significance for the group as the first major new-build project under the unified management of WDFG, which has recently completed the integration of its Spanish and UK management structures
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The 24-screen wall offers a highly-visible promotional area for WDFG’s brand partners |
WDFG invested £4 million in the new retail space, which incorporates a number of new store features and travel retail firsts. Given the focus on interactivity and engagement, technology is to the fore both in the retail architecture and brand participation.
A 24-screen LED wall dominates a space where brand partners can stage experiential digital marketing and promotions. The liquor tasting bar feautres screens around the bar that can be used for either panoramic or sectional promotions. And companies including Clarins, Estée Lauder and Bacardi have incorporated technology into their own personalisations.
The store has been repositioned following the completion of a new security hall, allowing for the newly introduced walkthrough format. At the store entrance, traditional crowd-pulling categories liquor and beauty flank the main thoroughfare.
Beauty represents around 60% of sales and occupies just under 50% of the shop space, Head of UK Beauty Debbie Ansell said. The company has used the big space to create two distinct banks of shop-in-shops.
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Gatwick South is one of just three WDFG locations offering the full Espace concept from Chanel |
One section features youthful/edgy brands – including Kiehls’, Benefit and Bare Minerals in its first ever travel retail personalisation. The other section features full shop-in-shop concepts from the classic beauty brands, including Chanel’s Espace concept offering a full range of the company’s fragrances and cosmetics.
In the liquor area WDFG’s wine concept Rare & Vintage has been given its first implementation beyond London Heathrow Airport, while other focal points are created by the tasting bar and personalisations from brands including Smirnoff, Absolut, Hennessy and Jura.
The Tobacco Display Area (TDA) – featuring a dedicated tillpoint and a potentially closable entrance in anticipation of future legislation – was developed in partnership with Japan Tobacco International and is WDFG’s largest such area to date.
The souvenirs area has been greatly expanded, with a Glorious Britain shop-in-shop and a very popular range of London 2012 Olympic Games franchised merchandise. And the luxury section, incorporating leathergoods, watches and sunglasses, has also been dramatically enlarged, and now houses the biggest collection of sunglasses across WDFG’s retail estate.
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The sunglasses section now has capacity for 1,900 pairs, more than any other WDFG outlet |
Palencia said: “We are very pleased with what is our largest and most innovative walkthrough store and we are absolutely delighted with the customer response and growth in sales that we have experienced.”
Gatwick Airport CEO Stewart Wingate added: “When passengers come to Gatwick they expect high standards of customer service, modern facilities and contemporary retail brands. This impressive new store is providing our passengers with a fantastic welcome and shopping experience as they arrive into our departure lounge. It is an exciting day and one that demonstrates how far this airport has come.”
