Cannes_2026_WEDNESDAY_ISSUE_DIGITAL

accessibility and transparency,” said Van Wijk and Koch, while avoiding price gaps that erode trust and making savings clear and consistent. The bigger opportunity, however, may lie in discovery. “The differentiating opportunity is discovery,” they said, pointing to research showing that 96% of Gen Z travellers have discovered a new brand or product in travel retail, with 49% purchasing immediately afterwards. Travel retail therefore has an opportunity not only to convert existing demand, but to play a greater role in consumer recruitment and brand discovery. Younger travellers’ attention, they noted, “can no longer be assumed – it has to be earned”. That means creating intuitive, mission-led environments that make quick purchases easy while also providing opportunities to browse, alongside more dynamic assortments featuring exclusives, local products and emerging brands. Sampling, personalisation, storytelling, knowledgeable staff and digital touchpoints can further turn retail into “a distinctive part of the travel experience rather than another task competing for limited time”. Ultimately, Van Wijk and Koch highlighed, sustainable growth requires the industry to “move beyond an averaged view of the traveller” and understand the specific needs and missions behind each journey. More effective use of data, combined with greater collaboration between airports, retailers and brands, will be essential to translating that understanding into relevant propositions – and turning growing passenger traffic into sustainable customer growth. Putting the traveller at the heart of the airport experience Following their presentation, Oliver Wyman’s Denise van Wijk and Pierre- Alexandre Koch were joined by Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director, Dubai Duty Free and Arthur Reijnhart, Chief Commercial Officer, Royal Schiphol Group, for an interactive panel discussion moderated by Charlène Tourneaux, Managing Director, TFWA. They brought together consumer research, executive perspectives and market analysis to explore how the industry can strengthen its relevance in a rapidly changing travel landscape. For Schiphol’s Reijnhart, the future of travel retail starts with a fundamental shift in perspective: putting the traveller at the heart of the airport experience. “At Schiphol, we have learned that long-term value starts with putting the traveller at the heart of what we do,” he said. The airport has moved its focus from volume and cost efficiency towards quality and satisfaction – a shift that has also changed how it views commercial activity. “Commercial success and a positive passenger experience go hand in hand. When travellers value their time at the airport, commercial performance follows naturally.” This approach is changing the role of retail, which Reijnhart sees as “an integral part of the overall passenger experience”, rather than a standalone commercial activity. Schiphol is investing in passenger flows, lounges and retail concepts including Today Duty Free and the Rituals Mind Oasis, with the aim of creating an environment where travellers feel welcome and have opportunities to explore. While “price will always matter”, Reijnhart believes airports have an opportunity to offer something beyond price. Travellers are already in a different mindset, “with time to explore and discover new brands, products and concepts”. The challenge is to ensure those opportunities feel relevant and add value to the journey. Collaboration will also be key. Airports, retailers and brands can share insights and expertise to create “more relevant propositions and stronger connections across the journey”. Looking ahead, Reijnhart sees the biggest opportunity in the “seamless integration of the total passenger experience”, combining excellent operational basics with authenticity, wellbeing and memorable experiences. At the same time, relevance will be a major challenge. “Travel retail must offer something they cannot easily find elsewhere,” he said, whether through exclusive products, exceptional service, a strong sense of place or memorable brand interactions. Keeping the retail proposition fresh, relevant and competitive Dubai Duty Free’s Cidambi offered a perspective shaped by the resilience of the Dubai market through successive crises. While passenger numbers remain below last year’s levels, Dubai Duty Free expects to finish 2026 with around 71 million passengers, with low double-digit growth anticipated next year. Despite the disruption, Cidambi noted that spending has remained remarkably resilient. “The crisis never really dented the spend, and it didn’t dent the penetration,” he said, with revenues currently tracking around 3% ahead of passenger numbers. High-spending customers and resilient categories including fragrances, technology, gold and jewellery continue to support the business. He also highlighted a significant shift in the geographic mix of customers. In September, sales from passengers travelling to Africa exceeded those from passengers travelling to Asia-Pacific for the first time in his experience. APAC, which accounted for around 25% of Dubai Duty Free’s business pre-Covid, now represents approximately 12 to 13%, while the growing African market warrants greater attention. Keeping the retail proposition fresh is another key priority. “Every time we do a shop renovation, we see 15 to 20% uplift in terms of revenue,” said Cidambi. He pointed to innovation in fragrances, technology and confectionery, including the success of Dubai chocolate, which generated $100 million in sales last year. While questioning some of the assumptions around generational differences, Cidambi was unequivocal about the continuing importance of price. “Price is a very important lever,” he stressed. Maintaining credibility is critical: “Once you lose your reputation on price, it is so expensive to get it back.” For Cidambi, therefore, the fundamentals remain clear: a strong airport experience, a fresh and relevant retail offer and a credible price proposition are essential to converting passenger traffic into sustained commercial growth. Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director, Dubai Duty Free; Arthur Reijnhart, Chief Commercial Officer, Royal Schiphol Group; Denise van Wijk, Principal, Retail and Consumer Goods, Oliver Wyman; Pierre- Alexandre Koch, Partner, Retail and Consumer Goods, Oliver Wyman; and Charlène Tourneaux, Managing Director, TFWA. Scan the QR code to share your feedback on yesterday’s ‘Global travel retail pulse: Opportunities in customer growth’ workshop. The survey only takes a few minutes to complete. Wednesday 30 September 2026 6 T F W A D A I L Y