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In what feels like the blink of a (tired) eye, my Interim Bureau has switched from Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai to the Marriott Haikou as I bounce from one trade event – the APTRA India conference – to another, the China International Consumer Products Expo (Hainan Expo) in the Chinese island province’s capital.
Thanks to the inclement – and in Beijing’s case, ferocious – weather of the last couple of days, the view (above) from my sixth-floor room is not of the usual mid-April blazing sunshine.
Despite the cloudy panorama, however, I can still enjoy the familiar sight of palm trees, golden sand and tempting coastal waters. All good for a weary spirit.
My journey back from Hong Kong to Mumbai was rather more prolongated than I would have liked, involving an unexpected detour through Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Tired after a week on the road and having missed my wife’s birthday due to APTRA India, I attempted to get another day at home before my onwards trip to Hainan on 12 April.
Alas, having visited the Cathay Pacific website to advance my booking by 24 hours, a cacophony of (my) errors led to me securing instead a flight to Hong Kong via Delhi that would get me home even later than my original flight. And all this for a change fee.
Not good, especially as I had two critical engagements at the Mumbai International Terminal on my original departure date. More on that subject in a second.
A further flight adjustment was required. Alas, every direct Mumbai-Hong Kong was fully booked in all classes. Several frantic calls to the Cathay help centre ensued.
How about through Singapore? Fully booked. Bangkok, fully booked. KLIA? Same, same. The list went on.
Then a call back from the help centre. “Good news, Mr. Moodie, we can route you through London Heathrow.”
All of us in travel retail have had these moments of not knowing whether to laugh or cry. I replied that not only would a Heathrow transit mean 28 hours or so of flying plus transit time from Mumbai to Hong Kong, but I’d actually not be back in time for my subsequent flight to Hainan.
Delhi it would have to be. And missed appointments.
Then… a personal brainwave (a rare commodity in the autumn of my career). What about Colombo, which I knew had a Hong Kong flight and enjoys a code-share with SriLankan?
Another call to the help centre. And this time a positive, non-Heathrow response (I was half expecting a Keflavík Airport, Iceland suggestion).
“Yes Sir, we can route you via Colombo.”
Whoopee. And so this sad story had a happy ending.
For not only did I make my two meetings at Mumbai Airport and gain a wonderful insight into two outstanding commercial operations but – despite the extreme lateness of the hour – I was also kindly met on arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Colombo by Flemingo International Head of Asia PK Thimmayya.
PK showed me around the retailer’s excellent consumer proposition before we stopped for a coffee and chat at the interesting Fashion Café hybrid retail and food & beverage outlet (pictured below), which includes an outstanding example of destination merchandise in the form of high-quality Akashi fashion accessories.
Flemingo is doing well at BIA, outpunching its direct rival (in a ridiculous dual duty-free retailer model) Avolta by several percentage points, though admittedly it has a secondary premium store advantage.
I enjoyed my Mumbai experience immensely, a combination of company visits (TFS, Ospree Duty Free); a site excursion to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport; a privileged personal tour of the outstanding Adani/TFS and Ospree Duty Free offers at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport; and, of course, the APTRA India conference.
I confess I far prefer covering conferences from the floor than fronting them on stage (as I do on multiple occasions such as The Trinity Forum and FAB). It allows me the freedom to mix and to listen and analyse the presentations and panels stress-free without having to worry about the theatre.
And that theatre was excellent. APTRA India got off to a promising start in 2024 and really built on that last week with an outstanding array of speakers and good choice of subject matter.
A word for the guest moderators too, including the wonderfully erudite Mohit Lal, former Chairman & CEO Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail; Voiceback Analytics Managing Director Shubhra Misra; that masterly suave facilitator Avishek Bambii Das (ex-Ospree Duty Free CEO), just appointed Bangalore Airport City Limited (Chief Commercial Officer); and the nicely engaging Karl Walter, a Partner in the Blueprint consultancy. That format, complemented by anchor moderator DFNI Editor Kapila Ireland, lent a nice variety and impressive knowledge base to proceedings.
There were some notable standout presentations. And not just among the roll-call of big Indian retailer and airport names, all of whom were excellent.
Where has the industry been hiding Kreol Group Executive Director Kreol Arakulath, for example? What a compelling and articulate analysis of the industry’s future digital direction this young man delivered in one of the best panel discussions I have heard in decades of attending or chairing such conferences.
And was fellow panellist Erin Lillis – Lacoste Travel Retail Director Asia Pacific – really making her conference debut?
You wouldn’t have thought it given her empathy with the audience and beautifully enunciated insight. As for the third panellist, Avolta Chief Commercial & Chief Digital Officer Vijay Talwar, let’s just say he has the smarts and the food & beverage to retail giant is blessed for that.
There were numerous other strong panel discussions, including a super show-closing line-up that explored the revenue and reputational opportunities – and challenges – of airport lounges.
It featured Bangalore International Airport Limited Vice President Commercial Pravat Paikray (if you haven’t seen the airport’s 080 Lounges then you simply must); DreamFolks Chief Business Officer Sandeep Sonwane; Suntory Global Spirits Managing Director Travel Retail Ashish Gandham; and Travel Food Services Managing Director & CEO Varun Kapur.
This is a subject I know well through our FAB + Hospitality title and event (25-26 June, Barcelona) and I enjoyed every minute of the discussion.
But my ultimate plaudits, as just about anyone in the room would concur, go to Mitti Café Founder & CEO Alina Alam and her team members from Mitti Café Mumbai, who collectively brought an inspirational presence to the event, one focused on ‘The magic of abilities’.
As I have reported on several occasions in this Blog and on our main site, Mitti Café is a remarkable social enterprise dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities by providing them with opportunities for economic independence and dignity.
“What started with no capital, a second-hand oven and a borrowed fridge has now grown into the world’s largest café chain run entirely by adults with disabilities,” Alina wrote recently. “From a single table and umbrella to a movement — Mitti Café is proof that purpose, resilience, and community can change lives.”
It can indeed. Bravo to you Alina and to all your team members.
Partying in style
#OspreeTurns1 was the hashtag as the travel retailer celebrated its first anniversary in gloriously technicolour style as host of the APTRA India Gala Dinner.
As international delegates bade farewell to Mumbai through the airport, Ospree Duty Free kept its warm brand of hospitality flowing via special delegate offers and gifts and thank you digital messages at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
I was privileged to be invited on dual tours before my evening flight to Hong Kong via Colombo.
One was of the wonderful Adani Lounges and some compelling new food & beverage offers, all from the Adani/Travel Food Services joint venture (look out for my full report, coming soon).
The other was focused on Ospree Duty Free’s impressively ranged, merchandised and expansive retail offer. You can view my detailed Picture Gallery above and read my impressions of the Ospree arrivals stores here.
Now it is time to focus on Hainan, a location that has so dominated travel retail industry headlines over recent years. There are plenty of challenges here. But equally, in a year that will see the island province become a fully tax-free regime, there are immense opportunities within the wider travel ecosystem. ✈
EARLIER ON THE MOODIE BLOG FROM INDIA
