Gebr Heinemann
Haven Duty Free is a joint-venture under which Heinemann Asia Pacific operates several stores in Laos with a local partner
THE IDEAS FACTORY
H
einemann Asia Pacific may be a relative newcomer to the region’s travel retail scene, but it has made inroads into just shy of a dozen markets. That’s impressive progress, given that it set up its headquarters in Singapore as a subsidiary of German travel retailer Gebr Heinemann little more than three-and-a-half years ago.
Olivier Louis, Heinemann Asia Pacific’s Operations Director, says the retailer’s win at KLIA2 is a milestone in its business development
For Heinemann Asia Pacific, building a sustainable success story is all about concepts, and as the retailer fine-tunes its latest exclusive brand, its regional business is steadily gaining critical mass by P. CONVERY
And the retailer has its sights set on further gains following a win in Malaysia that it hails as a milestone: the award of a contract to operate its first truly multi-category airport store in the region at KLIA2, the low-cost carrier terminal due to open in Kuala Lumpur next May. Olivier Louis, Heinemann Asia Pacific’s Operations Director, says: “It really was a great achievement. It’s a 1,200-square-meter concept shop and we’re creating a brand that’s in line with what Malaysia Airports asked for, something that’s tailor made for KLIA2 in terms of design, look and assortment. It will be a unique shopping experience.” The store will open at the same time the airport does, and Steffen Brandt, Heinemann Asia Pacific’s Chief Executive, says: “With this shop we’re really trying to translate the airport’s brand promise. It’s easy to say the passenger is our focus, but at the end of the day you have to try to create a certain kind of shopping atmosphere, and what the airport had in mind was actually not far away from ideas we had as well. “In each and every area we’ll have experiential zones where passengers can expe-
AMSTERDAM
VENICE
Heinemann Asia Pacific has developed its brand Be Duty Free for its operations at KLIA2, due to open in May
rience features related to the category, which might not [exist] at any other airport.” Heinemann Asia Pacific’s triumph in Kuala Lumpur adds to its portfolio of operations in 11 countries and territories in Asia Pacific. The retailer’s spread comprises a mix of what Louis calls internal retail–in which it owns shops or runs joint-venture stores–and external retail–which, he says “we used to call distribution, through which we supply other duty free retailers with a complete service package– buying, merchandising, promotions calendars, training, IT, design and construction”. On the Chinese mainland, Heinemann
European Tour LONDON PARIS
SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TRAVEL RETAIL: HOLLAND - ITALY - ENGLAND - FRANCE and also for your country. 18
Visit us at
Stand K17
ASIA DUTY FREE & TRAVEL RETAILING OCTOBER 2013
25156 ASIA CANNES insides.indd 18
Asia_Cannes2013.indd 18
13-10-04 3:19 PM
2013-09-29 7:57 PM