For the second year in a row World Duty Free Group has come top in the Beauty stakes in The Moodie Report’s annual Dreamstore eZine. In a survey of brand owners, each airport retail category was examined and the leading retailers compiled for those categories in specific locations. WDFG’s operations in Heathrow were singled out for the Beauty category honours, with specific reference to Terminal 5 for its promotions, offer and service, and the luxury approach in Terminal 3. One leading brand owner was quoted as saying “WDFG continues to set the benchmark for fragrances in travel retail at Heathrow.”

WDFG was also mentioned for its proactive approach to luxury retailing in the Fashion & Accessories category and came in for praise in the Liquor category. Suppliers noted the recently redevloped stores at Vancouver and Gatwick’s South Terminal, as well as at Heathrow’s T5. One brand partner said “The World Duty Free T5 main store always provides a balanced mix of retail theatre (through Contentainment) with innovative use of promotional areas (cocktail bar) and knowledgeable and engaging store staff.” Also praised were our World of Whiskies stores as “some of the best whisky retailing around; well merchandised with knowledgable and passionate staff.” Cancún and Vancounver’s operations came in for more praise for dynamic environment, strong promotions, solid merchandising and in-store programme activations.

You can read the full eZine here: http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?EID=ee611177-97f5-4b85-b75e-e705413895ae

WORLD DUTY FREE GROUP ESPAÑA, S.A.: JUNTA GENERAL ORDINARIA DE ACCIONISTAS

In the Moodie Report’s inaugural airport social media, digital and mobile awards ‘The Moodies’, World Duty Free Group won big, coming top in three of the five categories for which we were shortlisted.

We were awarded Best Twitter Feed for an Airport Retailer, Best Use of Digital Media on the Concourse (for our innovative Contentainment programme) and top accolade, Best Use of Social Media Overall for our activities across web, social media and in-store digital marketing.

Elsewhere, World Duty Free Group’s parent company Autogrill Group was honoured as Highly Commended in the category of Best Use of Digital Media on the Concourse by a Food & beverage Operator, and our Autogrill sister company HMSHost won Best Marketing Campaign (F&B Operator), Best Mobile App (F&B Operator) and was Highly Commended in the category of Best Use of Social Media Overall (F&B Operator).

In their annual Product Awards programme, DFNI (Duty Free News International) judges have awarded top place to World Duty Free Group in two categories.

In the Liquor and Wines section, WDFG won Best New Store for our walkthrough store at London’s Gatwick Airport, South Terminal, opening earlier in 2012. The judges cited our ‘eye-catching displays…, digital content, a superb tasting bar and an uncluttered approach to merchandising’ giving us the edge. They also praised the Wine Collection, Rare & Vintage section, our third execution of this concept (after Heathrow’s Terminals 5 and 3).

In Confectionery & Fine Foods, the Group won the Best New Store accolade for Food Society in Madrid Barajas’ Terminal 4 where we have two outlets under this fascia. Opened in summer 2012, Food Society boasts over 200 Spanish products ranging from fine wines to cheeses and the world famous Iberico Spanish ham. The concept also contains an airport retail world first in the form of a professional ham slicer, underlining the Group’s commitment to excellence and expertise in all our retail outlets.

Additionally, our new store at Heathrow’s Terminal 3 was Highly Commended in the Beauty category for Best New Store, a category in which we won the Moodie Report’s e-zine Dreamstore award earlier in the year.

World Duty Free Group has secured all the duty-free and duty-paid concessions in Spain to become the only operator in the sector in Europe’s second biggest airport market.

The Group won the three lots competition from the world’s top operators. The adjudicated concessions will run for seven years and may be extended for a further three years subject to agreement with Aena. 

“We are satisfied with the result obtained and enthusiastic about this acknowledgement of the expertise and capability of our commercial and operating team,” said World Duty Free Group CEO José María Palencia. “With a duration of at least seven years and new and more effective commercial space we can significantly boost per passenger spending to the levels achieved in our best airports. For WDF Group this is a new start on which to build a strategy of diversification and growth in new markets.”