Ian Hill reports.
Following the dazzling launch of Mars International Travel Retail’s next generation M&M’s concept store at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport’s Terminal 2A in July, LS travel retail is leading the way in dynamic retail development, creating a number of specialist and one-off offers designed to capture the imagination of the traveller. Such collaborations, it believes, will differentiate LS travel retail from its competitors, demonstrating it as a truly innovative operator who can attract more customers to airport stores. This autumn sees the launch of two innovative concepts from Paris-based LS travel retail, with select brand partners that are firsts for the travel retail channel. A Burberry Beauty Box will open in Terminal 2F at Charles de Gaulle this month, along with Les Caves Particulières – a luxury multi-sensory concept built around liquor, in partnership with Moët Hennessy.
Paris Charles de Gaulle’s M&M’s shop opening Paris Charles de Gaulle’s M&M’s shop opening was a captivating theatrical event with dancers leading the guests through the terminal to the airport’s landmark new store. Inside, the M&M’s world is brought to vibrant life, in keeping with LS travel retail’s aim to deliver the extraordinary to its customers.
Charles de Gaulle’s new M&M’s store is the eighth in travel retail but the first in Europe, and its opening was the product of a trinity partnership between airport, retailer, and the Mars ITR brand. “I thought of this concept after seeing the M&M’s World stores in Leicester Square in London and New York’s Times Square, and thought we really need to have something similar in Paris,” said Mathieu Daubert, Retail Director at the airport’s operator Aéroports de Paris (AdP). “It is global, but also local, and offers our passengers a last Parisian shopping experience that you can only find at this airport.”
“We wanted to give people the opportunity to interact with the brand and create lasting memories. This is the next generation concept for M&M’s, providing a window into Europe for M&M’s at the airport,” added Mars ITR General Manager Craig Sargeant. “It’s important to enable the passenger to have fun at the airport and here’s a great example of how to customise a global brand to the local environment. The spirit of Mars allowed us to do that.” At a press conference following the opening, Sargeant revealed that the next M&M’s concept store will open next January at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Lounge 2, in partnership with Schiphol Airport Retail. “We plan to open one concept store in travel retail per year,” he said. “This is not a concept that delivers an immediate return on investment, but we wouldn’t be doing it if it didn’t make money over time. The investment is a long-term one for the brand owner. Creating impressions and engagement are key, but it also has to perform and the early signs are that it will.”
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Mars ITR General Manager Craig Sargeant and Aéroports de Paris’ Retail Director Mathieu Daubert take the opportunity to pose with Red. “This is the next generation concept for M&M’s, bringing to life a city’s culture,” Daubert said.
In keeping with LS travel retail’s grand design to deliver extraordinary retail experiences to its customers, the official opening of the 116sqm M&M’s store presented a strong element of interactivity and theatre, with dancers leading the guests through the terminal to the bright, archwayed store. Inside, M&M’s characters are brought to life, inspired by Paris landmarks – the Arc de Triomphe, Montmartre, the Eiffel Tower and the Seine, and enhanced by imagery and sound – great material for customers’ selfie opportunities. The concept store is laid out in M&M’s colours – red, yellow, green, blue and orange – and there is a colour wall that allows customers to create their own assortment of candies, with all items presented in a red, white and blue bag that is emblematic of France. Destination-inspired souvenirs and accessories such as t-shirts, mugs and baby-wear, along with a range of travel retail exclusive M&M’s products, are available in-store.
Following the opening, Daubert announced that in continued development of its retail offer, AdP has created a totally new concept for luxury brands, in which Chanel will feature prominently in CDG T3 at the end of this month. Watch this space!
