a popular mobile payment method among Chinese consumers, will be available in several European airport retail destinations, as part of the travel retail industry’s attempts to appeal to large visitor numbers from China.

Lagardère Travel Retail, which operates retail, foodservice, and duty-free premises at airports around the globe, has first launched the payment service in Terminal 1 of Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris.

Timed to coincide with Chinese New Year, a popular period for travel among Chinese consumers, shops operated by Société de Distribution Aéroportuaire – a joint-venture by Lagardère Travel Retail and French airport operator Groupe ADP – will be the first to accept WeChat Pay. It will be launched in additional airports in due course.

WeChat Pay is a smartphone-based payment service and has around 600 million active users. It is integrated into internet group Tencent’s WeChat app, which is the most popular social network in China with nearly one billion users.

To make a payment users scan QR codes generated within their WeChat mobile wallet stored on their smartphones.

Travel retail is often perceived to be behind the times in terms of digital transformation when compared with the wider retail sector, but there are a number of new services being rolled out. Lagardère Travel Retail is one of several airport shopping companies to launch click & collect, enabling passengers to order products online and pick them up as they travel through the terminal.

And as the travel industry looks to cater for international travellers in ways they are familiar with from their home countries, there is set to be further innovation in the space.

Last week, for example, tax-free shopping company Global Blue announced it has teamed up with Tencent at Madrid Airport to allow WeChat Pay users to receive their tax refund digitally. For the first time, consumers can receive instant tax refunds into their WeChat Pay Wallet, once their tax-free forms have been validated by customs officials.

source : https://tinyurl.com/yade46kk

Using data taken from the 2017 ICLP airport and passenger surveys undertaken at 35 airports, surveying 2,589 passengers, the new research reveals interesting insights.

ICLP’s research concludes that airports can have a significant influence in persuading passengers to spend longer at the terminal. For example, a substantial 42% said that they would arrive earlier at the airport if offered shopping discounts and 46% said that food and drink vouchers would mean that they would behave similarly, while 32% stated they would also arrive earlier if airports offered engaging entertainment or exhibitions.

Contrary to the popular belief that people see going to the airport as something they do simply because they have to (something stated by 19% of respondents) a surprising 53% actively enjoy visiting the airport. Thus, the research draws the conclusion that there is plenty of scope for airports investing in strategies that encourage passengers to spend extra time in the terminal before departure.

It seems passengers are also open to persuasion to spend more once in the terminal. The research reports that 45% of those surveyed said that if they received offers in advance of travel it would persuade them to increase their spending. Discounts are also a key incentive: 43% of infrequent and 46% of frequent travellers said discounts might encourage them to spend more. Furthermore, 35% said they would feel encouraged to purchase more at the airport if they received air miles, and 24% said they would spend more if they could compare the price of goods between inbound and outbound airports.

46% of frequent travellers: discounts encourage them to spend more

More than a third of passengers (40%) said they would choose an airport based on its loyalty or reward programme, with 18% stating that access to a programme that was linked to spending at the airport would see them spending more. Yet, the research obvserves, only 7% of airports rate a loyalty programme among their top priorities, meaning that passengers set greater store by loyalty schemes than the airports that serve them.

Mignon Buckingham, managing director of ICLP, said that airports are becoming increasingly aware that understanding their passengers is key to driving greater commercial gain by providing experiences that genuinely appeal to them. “Truly meaningful customer relationships are based on identifying and understanding the airport passenger as an individual, and then finding ways to engage that customer. As in any other business, airports need to look at efficiency and profitability, but as competition increases and market trends evolve, many struggle to retain this profitability,” she said.

Ms Buckingham also noted,“Our survey shows that by engaging intelligently with customers there is potential to increase non-aeronautical revenue at a time when it has never been a more important source of income for airports.”

source : https://tinyurl.com/y9d7fv3y

without any constraints of weight or format! Your purchases will be deposited free of charge in an electronic box.
Travel light and find your shopping on your way back.

Abu Dhabi Duty Free has launched a website which enables travellers to shop online prior to their arrival at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The online store (www.ADDF.ae) allows passengers to pick up items from designated collection points inside Abu Dhabi Duty Free.

The company will initially offer about 1,000 of what the retailer says are its most popular products. These will come from categories including beauty, fragrances, food and confectionery, jewellery, sunglasses, watches, souvenirs and toys.

Products are available to departing and arriving passengers as well as those transiting through the airport or using the VIP terminal.

Online orders can be made between two weeks and up to four hours before a flight. The retailer is offering a +5% discount on all online orders for first time users.

Travellers without a confirmed date of travel have the option to create a ‘Wish List’. This service is available to registered users and allows them to keep their items for later when their trip is booked.

news from : http://www.moodiedavittreport.com/abu-dhabi-duty-free-launches-e-commerce-website-for-passengers/