The duty free business has been undergoing major changes since the internal market became a reality within Europe. Neeldess to say, it has not disappeared. It re-branded itself as the Travel Retail and Duty Free industry and has focused its attentions on boosting sales during travel. The annual TFWA World Exhibition takes place in Cannes and provides the venue for the brands, airport authorities and retail sector to meet.
This year’s event features speeches from German ex-chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French minister for foreign trade Christine Lagarde, as well as specific events covering airlines and the Asia-Pacific market. This year’s event will also be a baptism of fire for Olivier Charriaud, who took up the position as CEO on October 10. He comes to the company after having held senior marketing positions with major brands, most recently with the Remy Cointreau Group.
TFWA is held Oct 23-27. Details on the TFWA website.