Imperial Tobacco presents an expanded regional portfolio at a new look stand

Imperial Tobacco comes to the Duty Free Show of the Americas (Booth 713) with an expanded product offer, providing a highly relevant brand mix for US travellers.

The enriched US portfolio incorporates brands like Winston and Kool. Winston was introduced in the USA in 1954 and became soon one of the world`s most popular cigarette brands. For consumers with a preference for menthol products, Kool offers a bold yet smooth cigarette with a heritage linking back to 1933.

Jennifer Cords comments, “We are thrilled to have acquired these strong regional brands in addition to our international portfolio in the summer of last year. They are the perfect offer for this region due to the popularity they have already achieved over the last 50 plus years.” Imperial Tobacco has trade mark ownership for Americas Duty Free for these well known American brands.

Alongside the above and further regional brands, Imperial Tobacco will highlight Davidoff, Gauloises, Lambert & Butler, Golden Virginia, Rizla and USA Gold in Orlando.

The Imperial Tobacco booth in Orlando also continues the group’s Experience and Evolution theme. The new look stand has a fresh design driven by a futuristic mixture of materials, such as Beton, Copper and Wood.

Jennifer Cords comments on the extremely eye-catching booth, “Our new stand design helps us to communicate our huge experience and knowledge of both tobacco and the global travel retail industry to our customers, yet at the same time also represents our drive for evolution and changing with the times.”

Furla opens new store in Dubai

A new Furla store has been opened in partnership with Dubai Duty Free in Dubai International  Airport - Concourse D.

The 16m2 personalised corner was opened on the 24th of February with Furla’s SS16 collection.

Gerry Munday, Furla’s Director of Global Travel Retail says: “The Middle East has a very high potential for growth for Furla, and the brand is extremely popular with Middle Eastern women so I expect this store will be very popular. I thank Dubai Duty Free for granting Furla this essential space.”

Parisian elegance: the perfect backdrop for House of Hazelwood launch

William Grant & Sons teams with Lagardère Travel Retail for first travel retail activation


Paris CDG February 18th 2016 Passengers travelling through Buy Paris Duty Free at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport today stepped back in time to the roaring 1920s as they experienced a taste of Parisian elegance with the launch of William Grant & Sons’ travel retail-exclusive House of Hazelwood blended Scotch Whisky.

Inspired by the Grant family luminary Janet Sheed Roberts (1901–2012), whose lifetime residence Hazelwood House gave rise to the name of this new expression, this elegant and vibrant range of the finest blended Scotch whiskies was presented to travellers in an innovative way, combining multi-sensorial nosing, tasting and gift-wrapping. As the spirit of Janet Sheed Roberts inspired five generations of the WG family since, so the House of Hazelwood spirit is expressed through the great Art Deco cities that influenced the world in her heyday – including Paris.

Says Andre de Almeida, William Grant & Sons Regional Travel Retail Director Europe: “Partnering with Lagardère Travel Retail to launch House of Hazelwood at Paris Charles de Gaulle was an obvious choice, given the connection between the art deco movement and this great city. Indeed, House of Hazelwood 18 Year Old – which we are particularly featuring here – is inspired by the elegance of Paris in the 1920s, a theme that we are aiming to recreate with this very special launch activation. William Grant & Sons now enjoys a leading position within the travel retail sector for exclusive and unique whiskies and House of Hazelwood is another example of how we never stop looking at new ways to bring out the best that our distilleries have to offer.”

Using the backdrop of a cleverly designed Cargo Bike, featuring a dia-cut Paris skyline housed within a 1920’s style frame, passengers are greeted by a formally dressed waiter with accompanying Hazelwood embroidered serving towel and silver tray, who guides each individual through the experience of nosing and tasting the House of Hazelwood range. Fragrance cards, infused with the sweet smell of these unique blends, are handed out as an innovative and experiential way for consumers to enjoy the different notes of the whiskies.

To complete the experience, gift-wrapping of House of Hazelwood purchases is offered at the till areas.

The activation, which runs until mid-March, is another example of William Grant & Sons commitment to bringing brands to life in global travel retail. Adds Lagardère Travel Retail EVP Purchasing Duty Free Global   Sabine Fagan:  “We are seeing continued growth for the premium blended Scotch whisky category, as it bridges the gap between regular blended Scotch drinkers and pure malt connoisseurs. Consumers are increasingly looking for new and different experiences and our hope is that by offering such an exclusive range as House of Hazelwood we will set the retail bar here at Paris CDG at a higher level.”

The launch would not be complete without the presence of the creator of the House of Hazelwood range, Master Blender Brian Kinsman. “My ambition was to create a range of whiskies that would pay tribute to the extraordinary Janet Sheed Roberts and House of Hazelwood is based on whiskies from the two distilleries closest to her heart: Kininvie and Girvan, as well as the Grant family’s private collection.  I am exceptionally pleased with the result – not only the individual whiskies themselves but also the way that they have been bottled and packaged to tell each individual story. Seeing House of Hazelwood available for the first time to the public here at Paris CDG is a wonderful feeling and I am proud to be part of it.”

House of Hazelwood is composed of three exquisite expressions, each blended to perfection, with its own inimitable story to tell. All inspired by the 1920s, the most distinguished is the 25 year old expression (inspired by the inventive artistry of Shanghai) followed by two other variants, House of Hazelwood 21 year old (inspired by the sultry beauty of Mumbai), and House of Hazelwood 18 year old (inspired by the classic elegance of Paris).

The packaging design is similarly inspired by these cities, focussing on the creation of a distinctive visual leitmotif associated with the luminosity of each city.

House of Hazelwood is available exclusively in Global Travel Retail until September 2016. It will then launch in a few select markets around the world. House of Hazelwood has an ABV of 40% and suggested retail price of £115 for 25 year old, £75 for 21 year old and £50 for 18 year old.

-Ends-

Notes to Editor:

About House of Hazelwood

House of Hazelwood, an elegant and vivacious new blended Scotch whisky inspired by family luminary Janet Sheed Roberts (1901 to 2012) and expressed through the spirit of the great Art Deco cities that influenced the world in her heyday. During her rich and vibrant life, Janet Sheed Roberts lived in Hazelwood House, a house close to the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland. It was from Hazelwood House that she revelled in learning and progress, spending considerable time after her studies travelling the world, attending shows, parties and company ceremonies. In fact, inside Hazelwood House you can still find the beautiful art deco artefacts, pictures and stories from those days.

House of Hazelwood 25 Year Old

House of Hazelwood 25 Year Old was inspired by the classic elegance of Shanghai, a city that stood at the centre of Cathay elegance in the 1920s. This release represents the Master Blenders’ most prized expression. Each rare single malt earned its place in Kinsman’s final selection, and the blend was then married in American oak, allowing sufficient time for the complex and diverse flavours to infuse and mellow. The resultant majestic whisky is unique, rare and very special.

Tasting notes
Nose: Caramelized brown sugar leads, accompanied by vanilla, maple, soft spice and hints of fresh sawn wood.  Citrus notes and orange blossom linger in the background.
Taste: An elegant combination of vibrant spice and vanilla sweetness on the palate.  A long dry finish from the new oak.
Key Notes: Caramelized sugar and soft spice.

House of Hazelwood 21 Year Old

House of Hazelwood 21 Year Old is inspired by the sultry beauty of Mumbai in the 1920s. This release represents a bolder, somewhat spicier and more robust whisky balanced to perfection by the ageing of some of its malts for 21 years in sherry casks made of European oak.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Dried fruits and spice dominate, alongside a sticky sweetness reminiscent of rich fruit cake.  A splash of water alters the balance and adds complexity with a subtle hint of tobacco leaf.
Taste: Cinnamon, cloves and woody spice, with a dry finish.  Water accentuates the sherry cask influence, bringing out the sweet oiliness of treacle, dates and polished leather.
Key Notes: Spice, molasses and resin.

House of Hazelwood 18 Year Old

House of Hazelwood 18 Year Old is inspired by the classic elegance of Paris in the 1920s. This release reveals an elegant and classic whisky, perhaps the purest expression of Kininvie and Girvan spirits in the range, and married in tuns of Portuguese oak.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Vibrant vanilla sweetness dominates the nose.  Delicate oak adds complexity. 
Taste: Creamy toffee enhanced by soft oak undertones.  A long and elegant finish.  Approachable, yet refined by age.
Key Notes: Vanilla, creamy toffee, soft oak.


About Janet Sheed Roberts

Janet Sheed Roberts possessed a fine mind, known for her strength of character, passion and determination. Across the 1920ss she lived a vibrant life, witnessed the heyday of Scotch whisky and lived the golden age of theatre, fashion and design.

Janet Sheed Roberts revelled in learning and progress; she was awarded a Master of Arts and continued with a degree in law — being one of only two women in her graduating year. 

She spent considerable time after her studies travelling the world.  She  could recount stories of seeing the first aeroplane and the stagecoach ride from Geneva to Lausanne and remember the tunes played on the fiddle during a halt to water the horses. After she married, she continued her adventures with her husband Eric, meeting distributors and customers, and attending functions and award ceremonies. Her travels knew no bounds, and even her Australia trip featured on the itinerary with 12 stops, including one or two on remote islands in the middle of the ocean.

Janet Sheed Roberts’ passion for adventure did not end there. She also had a great love for the arts and fashion.  She saw all the legendary actors and actresses of the time in the best shows – including Greta Garbo.  She developed an extraordinary taste for shoes and handbags, with her favourite being Ferragamo. Indeed, she always travelled with her “campaigners” – a pristine pair of Ferragamo lace-up walking shoes with a fashionable heel.

In fact, it was a trip to a casino in Monaco that her elegant string of pearls broke, dropping all the fine pearls to the ground. Like a scene out of a Hollywood movie, all the men stopped in their tracks, got down to their knees and help Janet Sheed Roberts find all her pearls.

About William Grant & Sons

House of Hazelwood is made by William Grant & Sons, Ltd. an independent family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. Today, the luxury spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distills some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s most awarded single malt Glenfiddich®, The Balvenie® range of handcrafted single malts and the world’s third largest blended Scotch Grant’s® along with iconic premium spirits brands Hendrick’s® Gin, Sailor Jerry® Rum, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, Drambuie and Milagro® Tequila.

Listings galore for the new UPTOWN collection

Moon, the watch brand launched by Aeon Jewellery into Travel Retail, has already achieved numerous 2016 inflight listings for its new watch collection, UPTOWN. The brand was introduced to travel retail to fill a gap in the market for impulse priced, trend driven, good quality watches.

Claire O'Donnell, Key Account Manager comments, “The start of 2016 has been extremely positive for the new UPTOWN collection. We cannot believe the instant popularity of the collection, given that it has only recently been launched. The response proves that we have provided the inflight industry with a brand that obviously fulfils the needs of the airlines, and their passengers.”

The UPTOWN collection is now available with: EasyJet, Thomson, TUI, KPT, Corsair, Novair, Primera, Jettime, TUIfly Netherlands, and Jet Air Fly – Belgium. “We are thrilled with the listings that the UPTOWN collection has achieved already. We are currently in talks with numerous other airlines so the list should soon grow, making Moon and the new UPTOWN collection a true international brand,” adds O’Donnell.

Dyrberg/Kern welcomes inflight customers to its pre-release Fall collection event

Dyrberg/Kern and its inflight agent Scorpio Worldwide, joined forces in the jewellery brand’s hometown during Copenhagen Fashion Week to showcase its upcoming Fall collection. Customers from Europe and the Middle East gathered on the 4th of February in the Scandinavian capital to give feedback on the collection prior to its release. The customers included: Servair Italia, Lojas Francas TAP, Lagardère Inflight and Traveller.

The day started with an introduction from one of the company’s founders, Henning Kern who described how working together with his creative team over the past 30 years has helped to create unique jewellery that stands the test of time. All of the designs Dyrberg/Kern create are inspired by the combination of current fashion trends and Nordic design heritage, which results in a Scandinavian brand but one that relates to women around the world.

After a sumptuous champagne breakfast, the customers were shown the new ‘Northern Lights’ Fall collection that will be revealed at the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition and Conference in May.  The range has been influenced by the famous Northern Sky in Iceland, which attracts tourists from all over the world. Inspired by the green and blues of the Icelandic sky, the new range includes necklaces, rings, bracelets and watches.

Comments, Jacob Olsen, Travel Retail Manager, Dyrberg/Kern, “We think it is very important for our customers to view the collection and give comments before it is released to the market. Our customers know what their passengers like to purchase more than we do, so it is vital to get their input to ensure we are producing relevant products. We pride ourselves on being as flexible as possible, which means that if our customers like a particular product but want some changes, or want a set made exclusive for their airline, we are able to satisfy these requests quite easily.”

Ian Cowie, Managing Director, Scorpio Worldwide comments, “It is fantastic working with such a like-minded, customer focused brand as Dyrberg Kern.  We have had a great year representing the brand, picking up their Agent of the Year award for 2015, and we wanted to do some direct customer focused development work with them.  So, when Jacob suggested this event to coincide with Copenhagen Fashion Week, we thought it was a great opportunity to take some of our customers to their HQ, and get some valued feedback on the ranges prior to launch later in the year.  It was a great success and we hope to be able to repeat this again in the future as we further expand with the brand.”

Dyrberg/Kern also showcased its new retail display unit that aims to provide high sales turnover in a small square metre space. The unit can house a wide range of products, all of which will retail at similar price points to those seen on-board. Olsen continues, “The travel retail market is a shop window for our brand; we want to make sure we offer travellers high quality products at impulsive price points, so we can build up our reputation of being one of the best jewellery brands on the market.”

Ana Rita Aragão, Inflight Sales Director, Lojas Francas TAP comments, “In my opinion events like these are very important for the customer to provide the brand with all the necessary information of the business. Due to inflight being such a specific operation with a lot of differences from country to country, it’s essential that the brand knows the passengers profile, what kind of selling prices are more adequate to the business, and of course what type of product is essential to have in the inflight catalogue. We could see the entire collection and had the possibility to make suggestions to the brand regarding each specific market. We were also very fortunate to have Scorpio Worldwide present at the event; as the distributor they know the markets they work with very well, therefore this makes for a perfect trio- brand/distributor/customer.

Paul & Shark opens first boutique in South Korea

Luxury Italian lifestyle brand Paul & Shark is delighted to announce the opening of its first boutique in South Korea, at Incheon International Airport.

Opened in partnership with Lotte Duty Free, the official opening was on the 16th of December 2015, featuring Paul & Shark’s new collections.

Says Catherine Bonelli, Global Travel Retail Director: “We are absolutely thrilled to have opened this new store which makes a wonderful first step into the South Korean travel retail market for Paul & Shark.”

“In the first quarter of 2016 you will see another two openings planned in Seoul, which will truly cement Paul & Shark’s presence in Korean travel retail. I would like to thank Lotte Duty Free for their support with the opening of this new store, which looks amazing.”

Accolade Wines brings its FIRST EVER category stage to SYDNEY Airport

New World Wine specialists, Accolade Wines has brought its first ever category stage area to Sydney Airport. Throughout the months of January and February, Accolade Wines has taken over a 16sqm area where is it showcasing its Hardys, Grant Burge and Houghton wine brands. 

 

The promotional area features branded pillars and brand blocks that shows off the three brands in all their glory and ensures travellers will be able to spot the area from afar. A central pillar features a screen that scrolls through 9 different images creating eye-catching movement as well as enhancing the branding.

The inclusion of a tasting bar that is staffed for 8 hours a day for the duration of the promotion gives travellers the opportunity to try before they buy. An ipad on the bar counter displays tasting notes in both English and Mandarin helping to encourage shopper engagement, whilst stools around the bar aim to increase passenger dwell time along with giving it a more premium feel.

Rupert Firbank, Accolade Wines Commercial Director comments, “We are very excited to have launched our first ever Category Stage with Heinemann in Sydney Airport. January has already seen some very positive results, with the first day seeing one passenger purchasing over AU$1,000 of wine including 3 bottles of Hardys Winemakers Rare Release @$200 each and a Grant Burge Meshach! We are delighted that we have been able to deliver a really premium display that gives passengers a chance to engage with and taste some great wines from across some key regions in Australia. Importantly they are able to do so at various price points ensuring that the space is relevant to as many passengers as possible.”

For those travellers that want to make their purchase extra special, Accolade Wines is also offering the option of a gift packing service. The unique service involves the buyer taking a ‘selfie’ with a special Polaroid camera; the photo is then attached as a gift tag for a real personnel present.

Furla opens new boutique in Sydney International

Furla is thrilled to announce that it has partnered with Heinemann Asia in opening a new 40m2 boutique in Sydney International Airport.

The store was officially opened on the 1st of February with Furla’s SS16 collection.

Gerry Munday, Global Travel Retail Director of Furla, says: “This is already proving to be a lively year for Furla in terms of new store openings. Thanks to Heinemann for their help with this opening, the store looks great and is open just in time for Valentine’s Day."