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Wednesday 1 3 May 2026 6 T F W A D A I L Y Lagardère explores evolving role of AI in travel retail GHARAGE: Innovation must move from ideas to execution Q ihua Wang, Executive Vice President Strategy & AI at Lagardère Travel Retail, participated in TFWA C-Suite: The Innovator’s Agenda yesterday, exploring the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in travel retail and what it really means for the industry today. “What we think AI can do in travel retail… and what it actually can do today are two very di ff erent things,” she said, highlighting the need for a more grounded understanding of the technology’s current capabilities. Wang noted that while agentic AI is accelerating change, adoption across the industry is still at an early stage. “The technology is already quite advanced,” she said. “But the industry is still catching up in terms of adoption.” She pointed to structural complexity as a key barrier, with fragmented ecosystems limiting scalability. “Travel retail operates in a very specific environment,” Wang explained. “The challenge is less about technology and more about how we adapt our operating model.” In terms of impact, she emphasised that the most tangible value today lies in operational use cases rather than customer-facing innovation. “Pricing decisions, demand forecasting, stock allocation and supply chain optimisation – this is where AI is already delivering value.” More advanced applications, Wang added, remain constrained by disconnected data and systems across the industry. At Lagardère Travel Retail, AI is already being used to support internal e ffi ciency and knowledge sharing. “We are equipping our teams with AI tools to help them serve partners and clients be tt er,” she said, citing a global knowledge platform that gives employees L ennard Niemann, Managing Partner of GHARAGE Ventures, participated in TFWA C-Suite: The Innovator’s Agenda yesterday, exploring how the venture platform is developing and testing new ideas designed to reshape the travel retail experience. “The Innovator’s Agenda is full, because our industry is facing significant volatility,” Niemann said. “So the key question is: what can we actually influence?” For GHARAGE, the focus is on two linked priorities: anticipating future consumer needs and building technological resilience. “Technologies like AI are already reshaping how consumers discover and purchase products,” he explained, adding that “agentic commerce will impact both e-commerce and physical retail, especially in travel.” However, he stressed that execution remains the biggest barrier. “Collaboration with startups is the fastest and most e ff ective way to bring these technologies into real operations,” he said, noting this is the core purpose of GHARAGE Ventures. Niemann described the platform as a bridge between corporates and startups, designed to accelerate implementation. “Ultimately, the agenda is no longer just about identifying disruption, it’s about acting on it, quickly and e ff ectively,” he said. Key areas of focus include automation and AI-driven commerce. “We are looking at the automation of physical processes,” he said. “And AI finally allows us to optimise operations, from inventory to pricing, and ultimately drive the bo tt om line.” GHARAGE Ventures operates through three pillars: innovation access, adoption, and partnerships, enabling rapid testing in real airport environments. “We bring solutions into operations and test instant access to best practices and insights. Looking ahead, Wang pointed to greater system connectivity as the next frontier. “Today, most systems and data are still fragmented,” she said. “If the industry adopts common standards, end-to-end execution could become much easier.” them quickly with clear success metrics,” he explained. Looking ahead, Niemann highlighted the shift toward pre-trip and data-driven retail. “Retail becomes less about a place and more about timing,” he said, pointing to AI and geo-intelligence as key enablers. He concluded that industry-wide collaboration is essential: “Innovation in travel retail is too complex to be solved in isolation.” Qihua Wang, Executive Vice President Strategy & AI, Lagardère Travel Retail: “The next big shift could be around connectivity. Today, most systems and data are still fragmented. As the technology improves and more players migrate into more advanced data platforms and systems, information will circulate more easily across companies.” Lennard Niemann, Managing Partner, GHARAGE Ventures: “One area I’m particularly excited about is the automation of physical processes. This starts with replacing human-operated machines with fully automated systems, but looking ahead, we’ll likely see humanoid robotics entering operations as well. That has the potential to fundamentally change e ffi ciency in airport environments.”