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| NUANCE PRESENTS AN EXCITING NEW APPROACH TO TOBACCO RETAILING AT GENEVA AIRPORT |
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| Zurich, November 12, 2009 – When The Nuance Group introduced its new Duty + Tax Free Store at Geneva International Airport last month, particular attention was paid to the innovative presentation of the tobacco category. Last week, the focus on tobacco was underlined by a special event hosted at the events area: a Davidoff cigar roller demonstrated his art in front of customers’ eyes providing passengers with education as well as entertainment. |
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For the refurbished Geneva Duty + Tax Free Store, a completely new tobacco concept was created, with the entire tobacco category located at the entrance of the store and cigarettes and cigarillos displayed in an elegantly designed setting. A significantly enlarged cigar section further underlines the category’s importance at this location. In total, the tobacco section takes up some 25 per cent of the total floor space.
Fred Waeber, General Manager, The Nuance Group Geneva, explains the prominent new position of the tobacco category in the store’s layout: “Tobacco is a very important category at Geneva Airport, partly due to the large numbers of British travellers. We know that it is also a key footfall driver. By positioning our very attractive tobacco offer at the store’s entrance, we signal its availability to travellers from afar, inviting them to shop and browse the store’s ample offer.”
Unlock the full potential of the tobacco category
At the same time as being enlarged, the store’s tobacco offer has also been upgraded. As Alex Anson, Buying & Merchandising Director, The Nuance Group Europe, underlines, Nuance is aiming at a premiumisation of the tobacco category which becomes visible in the new way tobacco is displayed. “Tobacco used to be a very easy category for retailers along the line of ‘Just stack it up and it will get sold’. We believe that there is more potential to the category and that here too a ‘luxury’ angle can be developed. We are working in close cooperation with our supplier partners to find ways to convert this potential into sales.”
As a result of this new approach, Nuance has developed new gondolas to present cigarettes on. Kept in sleek black and white, they are more reminiscent of the way perfume and cosmetics are displayed and evoke a distinct feeling of luxury. In a completely new approach, the cigarettes are not grouped by brands but rather by customer preferences. Brands popular with British travellers, for example, are presented close to each other in order to encourage cross selling.
“World of cigars” and a cigar event
Next to an ample offer of cigarettes, in the “World of Cigars” a high-profile 20 square metre walk-in humidor has been developed in close partnership with Davidoff and underlines The Nuance Group’s commitment of presenting a truly knowledgeable offer. While Geneva Airport’s cigar assortment has long been famous, with the refurbishment new space was added, allowing the introduction of an even broader offer. One of the special features is a unique wall bay entirely dedicated to special and rare limited editions, handcrafted in the main premium tobacco growing areas.
Upmarket cigar manufacturer Davidoff has been established in Geneva ever since 1911 and, though widely known and popular all over the world, is still very much considered a local Geneva brand. Davidoff was therefore the obvious choice when it came to team up with a brand partner for a high-profile cigar event. Last week, the main tax free shop hosted a Davidoff master roller from the Dominican Republic who displayed the impressive art of cigar rolling in front of customers’ eyes.
Christian Vonthron, Head of Travel Retail Worldwide, Oettinger Davidoff Group, points out: “Geneva Airport had the first walk-in humidor ever in worldwide duty free which our Davidoff Ambassadeur - Mr. Raymond Scheurer - inaugurated three decades ago. Davidoff is proud to renew this tradition at Geneva Airport, implementing the latest technology and design at this historical location. And it is our pleasure to collaborate with The Nuance Group to create this cigar event celebrating the opening of our all new walk-in humidor.”
Alex Anson adds: “The customer is at the heart of everything we do. For the tobacco category this means that we make sure we stock all brands in demand by the specific customer profile of an airport and that we provide the ultimate range authority also for cigarillos and cigars, from good products for beginners, better products for those who know and appreciate the difference up to top-quality exclusive products for the real connoisseurs. By providing ample educational material on the specifics of each product, we both entertain and educate the passenger, with the ultimate objective of making them appreciate our higher-priced offer and driving tobacco as a premium product.”
The Nuance Group - Swiss-based The Nuance Group is a leader in the travel retail industry, operating 430 outlets across 58 airports and 19 countries around the globe and employing 5,200 staff. In addition to its duty- and tax-free operation, the Nuance portfolio comprises specialist shops as well as food & beverage operations, distribution, in flight services and shops in other travel retail channels.
At Geneva International Airport, The Nuance Group operates a total of nine retail outlets comprising the general merchandise Tax + Duty Free Store as well as specialist concepts for fashion and one Diplomatic shop 100 employees work for The Nuance Group Geneva.
Geneva International Airport – Geneva International Airport recorded an absolute record number of passengers in 2008 (about 11.5 million). The summer timetable for 2009 showed 104 destinations served by direct flights from Geneva (81 in Europe and 23 to other continents). The transformation of the duty free shops is part of a full renovation of the retail zone to be completed at the end of 2009.
For further information please contact:
Ulrike Janett-Bachner, The Nuance Group Corporate Communications,
phone +41 43 260 977, e-mail ujanett@thenuancegroup.com
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