Store Wars: How the luxury sector is building its future
By Marco Passoni When it comes to buying property the rule, they say, is ‘location, location, location’. The same is certainly true for luxury, but there is another important rule too: image is everything. Big luxury players do not want to be outdone by their rivals, and that is why today we are seeing luxury […]
Building the future: 6 lessons to shape travel retail in 2024
By Marco Passoni We are halfway through 2024 and it has been, to me, an interesting and exciting year for travel retail so far. The recent TFWA Asia Pacific event in Singapore showcased the excitement which is back in the market, and we are seeing new concepts and ideas begin to surface. But alongside this, […]
What is Asia Pacific’s role in the future of travel retail?
By Marco Passoni Asia Pacific is one of the most talked-about regions in our business and this week, the eyes of the travel retail sector will be on it as we touch down for the TFWA Asia Pacific Conference & Exhibition. I, for one, am delighted to be back in the city to discuss the […]
Travel retail cannot survive if we do simple things wrong
By Marco Passoni How much is it acceptable to charge for a bottle of water in an airport? I was walking through a major European airport this week, one which you would be forgiven for expecting to offer the best in bespoke service and travel retail excitement. In among all the luxury stores, and parts […]
The New Travel Retail: Why training matters more than ever
By Marco Passoni The travel retail sector has changed. In fact it still is changing, evolving every day as the needs and demographics of our shoppers continue to shift. While Chinese travellers are being slower to return, Indian and Vietnamese consumers are set to play a bigger role on the international stage, and as Gen […]
How to engage the markets which will shape the future of luxury and travel retail
By Marco Passoni There can be no doubt that China’s stranglehold on being the dominant player in both the luxury and travel retail sectors has been broken. Last week’s report by the Hurun Research Institute outlined the drop in average spend by China’s high-net worth shoppers, the first ever APTRA India Conference last month shone […]
Pop-ups: The Key to the Future – So Why Isn’t Travel Retail Keeping Pace with High Streets?
By Marco Passoni It amazes me that the travel retail industry continues to miss the incredible potential that pop-up stores can have for this market. There is no retail format which matches the demands of the modern traveller like pop-ups – excitement, exclusivity, innovation, experience, it is all there. When we consider too that pop-up […]
The keys to unlocking a desirable and engaging brand experience in 2024
By Marco Passoni There is no doubt that brands are working hard in both the luxury and travel retail sectors in 2024, but I increasingly find myself asking if, in travel retail certainly, they are working in the right way. Or even, are some working as hard as they claim? Think back to your last […]
Louis Vuitton The Place and why in-store experience needs some real innovation
By Marco Passoni Is there a better example of a brilliant physical retail experience than LV The Place from Louis Vuitton, which opened its doors in Bangkok last week? Not merely a restaurant, bar, or a run-of-the-mill luxury store, this stunning space breaks down and disregards traditional boundaries to embody elements of each in what […]
Moncler expands travel retail footprint with new store at Changi International Airport Terminal 2
Moncler has continued its growth in the flourishing travel retail luxury market with the opening of a new store at Singapore’s Change International Airport Terminal 2. The 137sqm store is directly operated, in line with the brand’s travel retail policy, and allowing Moncler to bring its exquisite brand experience to shoppers in a bespoke and […]
