As you like it

How the pandemic has changed the travel retail experience

With the 21st-century world moving at the pace it does, the opportunity to press pause is rare – let alone the chance to hit refresh and start again.

In the midst of the tragedy it wrought, the Covid-19 pandemic presented such an opportunity for many parts of our modern life, in particular the travel retail sector. As nationwide lockdowns were enacted across the globe, airports went quiet almost overnight. There are few who could have envisaged that some countries would still be keeping foreign travellers out now, or that it would take almost two years for others to reopen their borders.

In the interim, the aviation and travel retail industries suffered. But no matter how difficult the past two years have been for those operating in the travel retail market – and I would not want to diminish the pain and weight of those difficulties one ounce – the hiatus has provided a valuable commodity: time. Time to pause and breathe, to reflect, assess, and rethink. And this time is leading to some interesting shifts.

One thing that has been striking in recent travel retail news is the emphasis on visitor experience. The trend of active engagement with consumers has been brewing in multiple sectors (including food and drink) for a few years now, and fortunately the drinks industry is stepping up in response. Instances of this in travel retail include the opening of new hospitality venues, for example the Edinburgh Gin bar in its home city’s airport, or boutiques utilising advanced technology to inform and entertain customers, like that debuted by Hennessy in Paris. Such developments prove that the market has moved beyond simply putting a bottle on a shelf and waiting for someone to pick it up. Any drinks brands that lack the self-awareness or bravery to acknowledge this and pursue an active engagement strategy will likely find themselves left behind.

Travel retail has a well-documented relationship with the luxury sector, where the preferences of the customer are paramount. With that in mind, it is perhaps not before time that spirits retailers are taking an approach in travel retail that helps prospective buyers find a tailor-made solution, whether that's a bespoke brandy or gin serve, a single malt whisky matched precisely to their taste preferences, or a limited-edition bottle ordered online and waiting for collection at a convenient duty-free outlet.

This ability to tailor became more common during the pandemic: from exploring new spirits and brands through online retailers, to mixing our own cocktails in the kitchen, we took the chance to home in on what we like and how we like it. Following our re-release into the big wide world, this desire for personalisation has stuck. Don’t misinterpret its effects, though: while it may have made some drinkers fussier, it has also made many better informed, opening the door for deeper connections with drinks brands that strike the right chord.

With the scaling back of restrictive border controls post-covid, these informed consumers are taking their palates (and their wallets) all over the globe. They are demanding better, and the industry should consider it not just a responsibility, but a pleasure to provide better.