Panamanian newspaper La Prensa last week reported that Grupo Wisa duty free operator Abdul Waked, who was accused of activities related to money laundering and drug trafficking by the United States in May, has filed a lawsuit against the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. La Prensa said […]
Grupo Wisa
UPDATE: Grupo Wisa fights US money laundering sanctions as US Ambassador to Panama reiterates charges
The latest update regarding the money laundering charges by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control against Panama’s Waked organization is that Abdul Waked and Grupo Wisa are emphatically denying the allegations. People connected with the company say that Mr. Waked has a team of lawyers in Washington working on determining […]
How Uruguay’s Melancia Mall aims to change shopping on the Brazilian border
A TRAVEL MARKETS INSIDER SPECIAL REPORT By John Gallagher On Thursday, November 5 of this year, the US$70 million Melancia Mall, the largest shopping complex in Northern Uruguay, opened its doors on the outskirts of the border town of Rivera. Originally scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2014, poor weather –including heavy […]
Grupo Wisa brings La Riviera allure to Melancia Mall
Panama’s Grupo Wisa – a leading retailer in Central America and Colombia — has been operating in the Mercosur region since November 2012; where Uruguay has been the focus of its expansion, primarily on the Uruguay–Brazil border where it operates stores in Rivera, Rio Branco and Acegua. The opening of the Melancia Mall is a […]
Grupo Wisa’s Abdul Waked: The Master of Luxury
Abdul Waked, the head of leading Latin American duty free operator Grupo Wisa, has always loved luxury goods. Hailed as a visionary, Waked’s original La Riviera stores in the 1990’s transformed the way fragrances and cosmetics were sold in much of Central America and introduced the concept of perfumeries in Panama. In La Riviera, top-name […]
L’Oréal breaks new frontiers with Haircare & Professional Products
London Supply opens first Kérastase Travel Retail Salon in Americas, with Dermacenter to follow as travel retail and domestic markets join forces to recruit new customers. Lois Pasternak reports. L’Oréal’s Active Cosmetics Division is all about differentiation and bringing a unique offer to the consumer, says Jose Luis Lacunza, Division Manager of Active Cosmetics & […]
