Being truly sustainable means thinking big
By Marco Passoni Invest in our planet. That was the main message that featured on the Earth Day website this weekend. For me, this is more than a slogan, it is an important message that we must all fully consider when we make our sustainability plans for our businesses. To make a real difference on […]
Today’s digital youth want physical stores
By Marco Passoni As we settle into this ‘new normal’ we have created – and found – in the wake of the pandemic, one thing has become very clear: Despite the rise in importance of digital while we were all in lockdown, physical stores are here to stay in the retail world. To me, it […]
America: The land of opportunity for travel retail
By Marco Passoni There are some common themes which appear regularly in my blogs: The importance of digital, the need to recognise the role price plays in travel retail, the value of experience etc. Some of these are planned repetitions, while others reflect how big a role that issue is playing in our sector today. […]
Moncler marks a travel retail milestone with new Heathrow Airport store
The opening of the new Moncler store at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 is a milestone launch for the Italian luxury brand, which has been making waves worldwide with its striking and engaging experiential offer. In recent months, Moncler’s has made headlines with landmark collaborations, including partnerships with Mercedes, Pharrell Williams and Roc Nation, as […]
Shop-in-Shops are here to save physical retail from multi-brand boredom
I feel like sometimes the retail sector is caught in a loop. Everyone in this sector wants to secure their business’ future, and most of us realise that requires making life as good as possible for our customers. Naturally, how that is done differs for different people. Stores want to introduce new and successful brands […]
Make it count: Do more than just turn off the lights this Earth Hour
By Marco Passoni Earth Hour is this Saturday. Organised by the World Wildlife Fund since 2007, Earth Hour is famous for people around the world turning off lights in support of the battle against climate change. But, like so many other things, symbolic support for an issue without taking actual steps is now pointless. The […]
The UK Government’s failure to bring back tax-free shopping is not just foolish, it is bad business
By Marco Passoni The arrival of the latest budget from the UK Chancellor last week brought me a glimmer of hope: Maybe the latest UK Government would see the stupidity of removing tax-free shopping and overhaul the ridiculous decision which was taken as Brexit came into effect more than a year ago. Make no mistake, […]
Pop-ups: The art of the possible
By Marco Passoni Is there a more valuable tool for brands and retailers today than pop-ups? I would argue not, certainly in the physical space, where everyone is working hard to create added value and engage shoppers in the way that digital cannot. Our customers today want experience, innovation and engagement. Pop-up stores personify those […]
If you’re not ready for China’s travelling shoppers then you are not ready for modern travel retail
By Marco Passoni As we all know, China’s borders are open once more and the country’s much-discussed travelling shoppers are able to take to the skies once more. And it seems they are going to do so. Bookings are on the rise and experts are predicting a return to international travel in the second half […]
Creating Culture: Why products are just the tip of the iceberg for luxury
By Marco Passoni The announcement earlier this month that Pharrell Williams will become the new Creative Director of menswear for Louis Vuitton, succeeding the late Virgil Abloh, made headlines around the world. For me, and for many in the industry, it is an inspired choice. It demonstrates LVMH’s dedication to much more than simply creating […]
