Travel Markets Insider Newsletter Vol. 15 No. 21

The Travel Markets Insider newsletter is attached to this post as a PDF file. To open the PDF file, please click on this link.

 

Congratulations to Motta Internacional on its opening of two Attenza Duty Free stores in Ecuador’s new $700 million New Quito International Airport on Feb. 20. See full story on page 1.

 

AIRMALL USA is once again challenging assertions against it by national hospitality concessions union Unite Here. In what AIRMALL executives have labeled “ongoing misrepresentations of AIRMALL’s model,” the union has been criticizing the concessions developer since 2011 when Unite Here’s Airport Group issued a 3-part series of position papers called AIRMALLED: Failures of the Airport Concessions Developer Model.  Part 3 of the series can be seen here. But AIRMALL reports that an analysis of the 2012 sales performance at its US airport projects underscore the validity of its concessions model. See pages 1 – 2 for details.

 

In a further vote of confidence in its model, the AIRMALL concession program at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) won two awards in the ARN 2013 Best Airports & Concessionaires Awards program on Tuesday night at the annual ARN Revenue Conference & Exhibition. The AIRMALL at CLE received top honors for “Airport with the Best Customer Service (medium airport)” and “Airport with the Most Unique Services (medium airport).

 

People. P&G Prestige’s Alex Botero is assuming a major new North American role outside of Travel Retail; Jim Perry promoted at Brown-Forman; Pauline Brown new Chairman of LVMHs North American business.

 

Sparkling Jewels. In the Caribbean, Grand Cayman’s Island Companies Ltd. reports double digit sales increases for its Swarovski and Pandora jewelry stores. Page 3.

 

Sparkling Sun Sales. Luxottica Group reports its highest net sales ever for FY 2012, with strong performance from the travel retail channel. Page 3.

 

Countdown to OrlandoTMI features two exhibitors presenting exciting new brands to the Americas travel retail market: first-time exhibitor Biaggi luggage and UK favorite Buckley Jewellery, which is making an impressive showing in the year since it entered the Americas market through Katherine Sleipnes’ IBBI. Read more on page 4.

 

Fun and Glamour. Tairo International’s latest training in the Caribbean for Gucci perfumes captures that Red Carpet moment for BAs. Page 3.