Issue 370 The Week in Travel Retail Days FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY 28 OCTOBER 2010 WELCOME to The Moodie Report 7 Days. This week the industry is drawing a collective breath after the headlong, adrenaline-fuelled, early morning and late night rush through TFWA World Exhibition, which ended last Friday, writes Dermot Davitt. The mood we sensed was one of measured optimism of an industry more secure in itself than a year ago, when the economic gloom was just beginning to recede. That s backed up by TFWA s preliminary numbers, which reveal the show was visited (Monday to Friday) by 5,398 people from 2,570 companies, an increase of +8% on 2009. Of these 71% were cited as duty free operators, retailers, landlords, agents and distributors. The most pertinent figure, certainly to the companies that invest in exhibition space, will be the final tally of retailers and airports; and they, like us, will be eager to see the comparison not only with 2009 but with 2008, a recent landmark year for the show. We suspect the figures will not be far off those of 2008 (and have requested those comparisons from TFWA), which would make this a very good year for this key industry event. Like so many Cannes shows before it, this one carried its share of poignancy, laughter and a few tears besides. On the Sunday night there was a wonderful surprise celebration of the career of Aer Rianta International Middle East Managing Director John Sutcliffe, who retires at the end of the year, and for whom this may be a final trip to this event. We ll be reviewing the highlights of that career in our print pages and online soon, and you can be sure that the Cannes party will be just one of many that will mark the departure of one of duty free s most influential modern-day figures. As a pioneer of the confectionery business in travel retail, Stuart Bull has been just as influential. For 40 years he has walked and talked Mars products and, in a wider sense, been one of the trade s greatest ambassadors. It was fitting that his contribution was marked by a major celebration, hosted by the company, in Cannes last week. He s not departing the trade for good, and his passion and drive for the business are sure to benefit other companies as he begins the next chapter of his career. Bull also has the copyright on one of the great tributes to our trade, a phrase that tells you exactly why he has no reason to leave the industry. It s great to be in duty free, he says, where the women are tall and beautiful, they smell great and they drink 12-year-old Scotch. Image of the Week Aer Rianta International North America captured the key prize of Airport Retailer of the Year at last week s Frontier Awards in Cannes a fitting accolade for Regional Manager Philip Eckles (second from right), who moves soon to another major post, heading ARI Middle East s operations, based in Bahrain. (See www.themoodiereport.com for more details.) FAST, FACTUAL, FREE PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK Stuart Bull: One of the most influential and respected executives in travel retail, popularly known as The Man from Mars, bid an emotional farewell to the confectionery company at a special celebration in Cannes last week. He has walked and talked the business with passion for 40 years, and we wish him well. QUOTES OF THE WEEK Our passengers have come to expect the best from Manchester Airport and this development enhances our tax and duty free offer. Manchester Airport Managing Director Andrew Harrison on the extension of WDF s retail contract to 2021, and related plans to expand and enhance the commercial environment. We need all branches of the Trinity to stand shoulder to shoulder on this. ETRC Secretary General Keith Spinks says the trade in Europe must act fast to ward off the threat of an EU-wide tobacco display ban, proposed in amendments to the EU s Tobacco Products Directive. Page 1
BUSINESS NEWS FRANCE. Nice Côte d Azur Airport last week showcased its recently completed commercial complex, which has seen 23 new stores open in 2010. It takes to 38 the number of units at the airport, which is France s second largest (with close to 10 million passengers in 2009). The airport said it expected to increase revenue from commercial operations by +10% year-on-year in 2010 following the introduction of the new areas, despite a downturn in passengers, notably from the UK and Ireland. Aéroports de la Côte d Azur Chairman Hervé de Place said: "This renewal programme for our boutique offering is part of a genuine, long-term commitment to improve services for clients. This is a strategic development path for Nice Côte d Azur Airport, because our aim is to offer our passengers a local travel and services solution which meets their new expectations." Director of Operations Didier Monge added: We have added an extra +10% to the commercial space airside, and rebalanced the airside versus landside spaces. That is a key factor in driving revenues. Among the new stores to open in T2 are a multibrand store operated by Dufry offering Hugo Boss, Guess, Samsonite and Longchamp. The retailer has also just opened an Emporio Armani unit (pictured), and a Lancel boutique is due to open shortly. Other new units include the first Celio menswear store at an airport (T2 public area), a multi-brand women s fashion store offering Diesel and Pepe Jeans (in the same zone) plus an Hour Passion watches unit from Tech- Airport, offering high-end timepieces and jewellery in the Business Terminal. For the full story, go to www.themoodiereport.com JAPAN. Tokyo Haneda Airport s new International Terminal opened on 21 October along with a new 2,500m runway, in a move that sets the stage for an expansion of global air services to and from Tokyo, and competition with the established gateway of Narita Airport. When its full roster of services launches from 31 October, Haneda will host 17 international routes with 40 daily slots linking the Japanese capital with destinations including Bangkok, Beijing, Honolulu, London, Los Angeles, Paris, New York and Singapore. By 2013, airport authority Tokyo International Air Terminal Corporation (TIAT) aims to offer 90,000 international daytime slots per year. Until last week Haneda had offered domestic services and a limited charter flight programme to Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul and Shanghai. The new five-storey, 159,000sq m terminal offers 3,900sq m of retail space with 21 duty free stores and boutiques. TIAT s major shareholders hold the retail concessions in the new terminal. ANA is managing two stores (a duty free and a souvenir store) airside; JAL has a main duty free store and a last-minute store; Japan Airport Terminal Company ( JATCo) has concessions for two duty free stores along with a news outlet and pharmacy; and Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA) also is managing a general duty free and a souvenir store. Page 2
SPAIN. Aldeasa has opened an improved, new-look version of its The Shop travel retail store at Almeria Airport. The re-designed store offers 300sq m of shopping space, including a larger fragrance section. In addition, souvenirs from Almeria and local food products from the region are showcased. A space has also been allocated within the store for stage promotions, product presentations and tasting events for customers. Aldeasa Regional Director Andalucía José Luna said: We wanted to take advantage of the refurbishment of the airport to adapt our shop to meet the needs and tastes of modern-day travellers. In addition, we focused on integrating the shop within the airport s environment and showcasing the excellent local products. TENDER & CONTRACT NEWS GERMANY. Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport has launched a series of tenders for retail space in the extension of the airport s pier A in Terminal 1. The new facility, scheduled for inauguration in June 2012, will contain a large commercial area known as the Atrium, spread over two levels, each catering either for Schengen or non-schengen passengers. Both levels will feature walk-through duty free and Travel Value stores covering 2,000sq m, to be operated by Gebr Heinemann, plus several other F&B and speciality retail outlets that are subject to the current tender. Responses to the request for proposals are due by the end of November. The Atrium will feature several units dedicated to fashion & accessories, plus a jewellery & watches store on each level, plus delicatessen, electronics, books, news and gifts stores. Each level will also contain large F&B areas situated close to the main retail stores, encouraging travellers to remain within the main Atrium zone. German flag carrier Lufthansa which accounts for 60% of Frankfurt s total traffic and which, along with Star Alliance partners, will be the exclusive user of the new extension will operate lounges adjacent to the Atrium, ensuring all facilities are within easy reach of travellers. Page 3
In addition to the Atrium, the pier A extension which represents a 550 million investment on Fraport s part will also feature a large shopping area close to the boarding gates on both the Schengen and non-schengen levels, including duty free and Travel Value stores covering over 1,000sq m in total. The gate retail assortment, catering for last-minute purchases, will also contain stores dedicated to fashion & accessories, jewellery & watches, gifts & souvenirs, along with F&B and pharmacy offers. Fraport Senior Executive Manager Category Management Duty Free Christian Sültemeyer explained that the pier extension had been designed to ensure that all travellers, including Terminal 1 s large number of transfer passengers, will pass through the Atrium, ensuring maximum exposure for the retail offer. In Frankfurt, as everybody knows, the retail has previously been sometimes too fragmented and spread over too large an area, he said. In the new pier, the Atrium will provide a large, attractive area for travellers to relax and browse in, with all shops and other facilities close to each other. All travellers passing through security will enter the duty free and Travel Value stores, which we expect to have a very positive effect on penetration. Full details on these developments at Frankfurt appear at www.themoodiereport.com ISRAEL. Israel Airports Authority (IAA) has issued a tender for the operation of two border duty free stores, at Taba and the Jordan River crossing. The stores at the existing border terminals are operated by James Richardson. IAA told The Moodie Report that the contracts for the two stores would begin on 16 March 2011 and run for seven years. There is an option at the IAA s discretion to extend the contract by 35 months. The bid deadline is 6 December. The terminal at Taba is expected to be rebuilt in the coming years, noted IAA. It said: The winning bidder will start operating from the current store, then move to a temporary one, and finally relocate to the new terminal. The current store s size is about 130sq m, and will be expanded to nearly 500sq m. The Jordan River store is 500sq m in size. Some 566,000 outgoing travellers left from the Taba terminal in 2009, with 229,000 through the Jordan River terminal. In the period from January to September 2010, Taba handled 532,000 travellers, with Jordan River taking 193,000. Duty free revenue from both stores amounted to US$9.79 million in 2009, IAA reported. In the first nine months of 2009, sales hit US$7.11 million while in the comparable period this year the figure was US$8.87 million, an increase of +25%. PACIFIC. Aelia and Lagardère Services Asia Pacific (LS ASPAC), in a joint venture with Marlène, a local luxury retail expert, have won a tender to operate two tax and duty free stores at Nouméa La Tontouta International Airport in New Caledonia. Aelia Nouvelle Calédonie will begin the 10-year contract in January 2011. The contract is ultimately for the operation of two new retail outlets, which form part of the refurbishment of Nouméa Airport, due for completion by the middle of 2012. The new retail outlets are a 470sq m tax and duty free multi-category store in the departures area and a 100sq m store in the arrivals area. The main store will offer the full range of tax and duty free categories including liquor, tobacco, perfumes and cosmetics, confectionery and fine food, fashion & accessories, souvenirs and electronics. Until the new stores open, Aelia Nouvelle Calédonie and LS ASPAC will operate the two existing stores, taking over from the incumbent operator (DFS). UK. Autogrill-owned WDF has renewed its travel retail & duty free contract (originally running until 2017) at Manchester Airport, with a four-year extension to 2021. The group has operated at Manchester (previously through Alpha Airports Group) since 1980. WDF produced revenues of around 60 million at the airport in 2009. The company said: With this agreement Autogrill Group consolidates its presence in the UK airport duty free market, in which it operates 89 stores in 23 airports and serves around 20 million customers a year. Page 4
In partnership with Manchester Airport Group, WDF will implement an upgrading plan, starting next year, for the two main stores in the airport, including the Biza store in T1 and the Alpha Airport Shopping store in T3. The T1 Biza store was opened in 2008. This 2,300sq m space will be redesigned to improve customer flow and offer a new shopping experience. The store will feature two shop-in-shop concepts: one is Cocoon, which specialises in beauty products, and the other is World of Whiskies, which will offer a selection of single malt whiskies. The beverage area will feature a bar for spirit tastings and will offer a wide selection of Cognacs and other spirits. A significant space will be dedicated to electronics and souvenirs, while typical local products will be available in a section called Best of Manchester. WDF s innovative digital media concept Contentainment is being introduced in the T1 Biza store. Vast walls of plasma screens will transmit digital content regarding in-store events and promotions, to create in-store theatre and engage customers. In addition, the Alpha Airport Shopping store in T3 will be converted into a Biza store in 2012, with a new layout in line with the design of the new WDF stores. The Biza brand was launched at Manchester and the airport is still home to our largest flagship Biza store, said WDF s UK Managing Director Padraig Drennan. In an airport like Manchester, you have differing passenger profiles. T3 for example, handles a very high proportion of business travellers, whilst T1 has more leisure passengers, so it is vital to tailor the product mix and retail offering accordingly. Our passengers have come to expect the best from Manchester Airport and this development enhances our tax and duty free offer, said Andrew Harrison, Manchester Airport s Managing Director. WDF has always been an important partner and the Biza brand is proving to be very popular with our passengers. We look forward to continuing our successful relationship with WDF. RETAIL & COMMERCIAL SALES RESULTS GERMANY. SSP has opened a new food court called Around the World at Frankfurt Airport. The new facility comprises three distinct offers a sushi concept, a bakery and a free-flow restaurant. Temaki Bar ( temaki means hand rolled in Japanese) serves traditional sushi, and is said to be particularly popular with female customers. Around the World also features SSP s first Kamps Backstube bakery unit. Kamps Backstube serves freshly baked artisan breads prepared in front of the customer. It is a new development for the Kamps brand which, with 950 stores across the country, is Germany s largest bakery chain. Our new food court has done much to improve the choice and quality here at Frankfurt, said Fraport Head of Food and Beverage Mark Hallstein. Temaki offers something a little out of the ordinary while Kamps, a premium offer, meets the high expectations of our passengers. The new offer is also proving a commercial success and sales at the Temaki Bar are substantially higher than originally forecast, claimed SSP, while both Kamps Backstube and the free flow restaurant are also performing well. Around the World replaces an existing food court, which was also operated by SSP. NETHERLANDS. HMSHost has added to its powerful airport food & beverage portfolio with its latest opening at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. HMSHost has brought the Express concept of La Place, part of the popular Dutch department store chain Vroom & Dreesman, to one of the busiest areas of Schiphol. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Director Business Area Consumers Otto Ambagtsheer said he was proud to have the first La Place Express at the airport. The fresh assortment is a great completion to our food & beverage product range at Schiphol, he said. Offering our passengers more and more healthy organic and fresh meals supports our ambition to become Europe s preferred airport. Page 5
HMSHost s culinary team will create fresh dishes made from organic ingredients at La Place Express. As with the airport s recently opened Dutch Kitchen Bar & Cocktails, La Place sources products and ingredients from local Netherlands producers. SAUDI ARABIA. JCDecaux ATA has entered into a ten-year contract for the exclusive advertising concession covering all 26 airports in Saudi Arabia. JCDecaux ATA is a 60:40 joint venture between JCDecaux the leading outdoor advertising company in Europe and Asia Pacific and number two worldwide and its Saudi Arabian partner ATA. The contract covers four international airports in Saudi Arabia; King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd Airport in Dammam and Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Madinah, plus 22 domestic airports across the country. GENERAL NEWS ASIA PACIFIC. The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) website went live last week at www.aptra.asia APTRA developed the website to enable stakeholders in the duty free and travel retail industry to access information about campaigns and initiatives in their region. The website includes sections on the purpose and management of the Association, its members by region, membership benefits, activities in the region, recent press releases, links to trade associations and links to relevant events such as TFWA Asia Pacific & Gate One2One. It will in the future also cover key results from the APTRA/Generation Index which charts the industry s performance in the region every quarter and on an accumulated annual basis. APTRA President Sunil Tuli said: Over the last five years APTRA has worked behind the scenes to combat threats to the industry in the Asia Pacific region. We have now reached a point where we wish to provide a more visible portal which is a source of information and support to members, but also a conduit for them to advise us of issues which are of concern to them and on which we or fellow members may be able to assist. EUROPE. The European Travel Retail Council (ETRC) is urging industry action to ward off the potential threat of an EU-wide tobacco display ban, which could include travel retail. The European Commission recently opened up a public consultation on a review of the EU s Tobacco Products Directive, which runs until 17 December. Currently national states decide on whether and how to implement any display bans but a directive from the Commission would force them to comply with EU-wide policy. The ETRC said: Because of the unique market they serve, European airport duty free shops would be disproportionately affected by a tobacco display ban. Children and minors represent a very small proportion of airport users. We also only sell tobacco products in bulk and for export only, so typically products can only be consumed many hours after purchase. We do not believe therefore that there is a need for a ban on the display of tobacco products in airport duty free shops. There is still good reason for the industry to be positive, noted ETRC Secretary General Keith Spinks. He said: We have good arguments. Airport duty free shops are almost always accepted as being a unique environment. We need stakeholders, including retailers and airports, to engage constructively with decision-makers to ensure duty free is not included alongside the domestic market in the new directive. We need all branches of the Trinity to stand shoulder to shoulder on this. More details appear at www.themoodiereport.com Page 6
FRANCE/INTERNATIONAL. An Extraordinary General Meeting of Tax Free World Association (TFWA) last week voted to introduce fundamental changes to the election rules and role of the President. The essence of the changes is that whereas the President can currently be elected only from the members of the Management Committee, it will be possible in future to source a President from outside the Management Committee. The resolution to change the rules was passed unanimously, said TFWA, having been prepared by a special Task Force in recent months, and with the support of the TFWA Management Committee. Current President Erik Juul-Mortensen will remain in place until an election in December. In the meantime an Election Committee will seek and assess potential candidates for the role, said TFWA. Juul-Mortensen told The Moodie Report that he was undecided about putting his name forward. As yet I have not made up my mind, and it s right to wait until this week is over before giving it full consideration. But I still have a lot of passion and energy for the industry, and believe there is so much that TFWA can still achieve, he added. I m proud of what we have done in the past, and believe there is so much that can be done in the future. But it isn t about me, it s about doing what is right for the Association and for the trade. RETAIL & COMMERCIAL SALES RESULTS AUSTRALIA. Retail revenue at Sydney Airport leapt by +11.7% year-on-year in the first nine months of 2010, hitting A$156.2 million (US$155.6 million). Notably this was ahead of international traffic growth of +8.5% in the period. The robust performance of the first half continued in the third quarter, which saw retail revenues climb by +10.8% to A$53.6 million (US$53.4 million). Sydney Airport said the latest quarter benefited from the opening of the new International Terminal (T1) in retail terms. Total revenue grew by a healthy +12.4% to A$693 million (US$690 million) while EBITDA (before specific expenses) rose by +14.2% to A$567.4 million (US$565 million). Kerrie Mather, CEO of majority shareholder MAp, said the performance was down to strong traffic growth, commercial expansion and solid cost management. She said: Year to date traffic growth stands at +9%, with the strong Australian Dollar contributing to outbound travel demand. Sydney Airport continues to attract new airlines and services. During the third quarter, Air Mauritius started services to its home base and Etihad Airways and V Australia announced a cooperation agreement that will see V Australia operating on the Sydney-Abu Dhabi route from February 2011, creating a combined double daily service. Further capacity additions from airlines including the Qantas group. Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Garuda, China Southern, China Eastern, Air China and United Airlines are expected by year end. The strong traffic performance also supported retail revenue with +11.7% growth year to date. The redeveloped retail offering and environment in the International Terminal continues to be well received by passengers. BELGIUM. Brussels Airport retail revenues climbed a solid +4.3% year-on-year in the first nine months of 2010, to 35.7 million. In the third quarter, retail grew by +8.3% compared to a year ago, to 13.4 million. The business benefited from growth in extra-eu traffic, noted the airport, bolstered by an enhanced airside commercial offer. Total revenues at the company slipped slightly in the first nine months, by -0.9% to 275.8 million, while EBITDA was up marginally (+0.8%) at 156.8 million. This figure includes a one-off 7.5 million impact from the Icelandic volcano crisis, without which EBITDA would have risen by +5.6%. UK. BAA (SP), which owns the two London airports of Heathrow and Stansted, has posted a solid revenue increase of +4.4% (to 1.54 billion) for the first nine months of 2010, a performance buoyed by healthy growth in retailing. Gross retail income grew by +6% to 350.1 million year-on-year. Net retail income (NRI) increased by +7.9% to 326.9 million and NRI per passenger climbed by +10.1% to 5.11, with passenger numbers in the period slipping -2.1% to 64 million at the two airports. NRI per passenger was driven the strong performance of Heathrow, where the figure climbed by +11.5% to 5.42. At Stansted NRI per passenger hit 4.04, up by +3.1%. Page 7
BAA passenger traffic summary Jan Sept 2010 Passengers by airport 2010 2009 Change Heathrow 49.6 49.9 0.6% Stansted 14.4 15.5 7.0% Passengers by market served 2010 2009 Change UK 5.0 5.4 8.6% Europe* 32.7 33.4 1.8% Long haul 26.3 26.6 1.0% Total passengers 64.0 65.4 2.1% Percentage change figures are calculated on unrounded passenger numbers. *Includes North African charter traffic Figures in millions Source: BAA BAA (SP) noted: At Heathrow, gross retail income increased +9.8% to 285.4 million (2009: 260.0 million) and NRI per passenger increased +11.5% to 5.42 (2009: 4.86). Most areas of the retail business performed well, with the main growth driver being airside specialist shops. There have also been increasing signs of recovery in car parking following the recent period of weakness and this feature contributed to the slight acceleration in growth in Heathrow s NRI per passenger in the third quarter of 2010. Heathrow s continued strong retail performance reflects the increase in the proportion of higher spending origin and destination passengers. This benefits both the in-terminal and car parking elements of retail income. The performance also reflects the greater numbers of passengers utilising Terminal 4 following relocation of airlines prior to Terminal 2 s closure who are benefiting from its upgraded retail facilities completed as part of the terminal s recent refurbishment. Further, growth in passenger spend has been particularly strong in the luxury segment of Heathrow s airside retail outlets. Stansted s gross retail income declined -4.1% to 64.7 million (2009: 67.5 million), which was hailed as a resilient performance given passenger trends. BAA net retail income per passenger from continuing operations Jan Sept 2010 2010 2009 Change Heathrow 5.42 4.86 +11.5% Stansted 4.04 3.92 +3.1% Total 5.11 4.64 +10.1% Percentage change figures are calculated on unrounded numbers. Source: BAA The growth in Stansted s NRI per passenger reflects particularly performance in airside specialist shops and catering with net car parking income per passenger stabilising after a significant period of weakness. The disruption caused by volcanic ash and airline industrial action in 2010 is estimated to have affected gross and net retail income by 8.4 million. At the two airports combined, duty and tax free sales were 80.3 million in the nine months, compared to 74.2 million a year ago, a rise of +8.2%. DATA ROOM PASSENGER TRAFFIC NEWS ASIA PACIFIC. Preliminary figures for September released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) indicate that market conditions in the region s international passenger traffic remained robust as the economic recovery maintained its momentum. Asia Pacific-based airlines carried a total of 15.2 million international passengers in September, an increase of +13.4% year-on-year year, boosted by particularly strong demand on regional routes. In revenue passenger kilometre terms (RPK), international passenger traffic grew by +9.3%. Seat capacity expanded by +6.6%, resulting in a 1.9 percentage point rise in the average international passenger load factor to 79.0%. AAPA Director General Andrew Herdman said: Asian economies have been leading the way out of the global downturn, and this has resulted in a tremendous boost to the fortunes of carriers across the region. Over the past nine months, we have seen a +14.6% increase in international passenger numbers, and an even more dramatic +30.2% growth in international air cargo traffic, compared to the same period last year. Unlike some other regions of the world, Asian consumers are already displaying confidence in the future. At the same time, a broad-based pick-up in business sentiment is evident in the marked recovery in demand for premium class seats, a segment of the market in which Asian carriers have traditionally excelled. Asian carriers have responded to these increases in demand with disciplined capacity and yield management, which has generally been rewarded by a welcome return to profitability, following two very difficult years for the industry. Page 8
PEOPLE NEWS, JOBS, EVENTS & NOTICES INTERNATIONAL. Entries are flooding in for the inaugural Moodie Multi-National Marathon, sponsored by M&M s. The event is a unique initiative designed to bring together the international travel retail community behind a good cause Hand in Hand for Haiti, the travel retail-led initiative to build a new school in Haiti as the country recovers from the devastating earthquake of 12 January. The marathon will be conducted between 4 and 7 March 2011. Teams of six from travel retail companies will each run one-sixth of a marathon (7.03km), with members being able to run anywhere in the world. Participants can run on treadmills, track or any terrain of their choice the more exotic the better. Individual and team times will be self-timed and sent to the organisers for recording. Over 20 teams from leading retailers and suppliers have already committed to the event, with some entering multiple teams. Entrants to date include DFS, The Nuance Group, Patron, Mars, ARI, Dubai Duty Free, Diageo GTME, Patrón, Scorpio Distributors and The Estée Lauder Companies. But there is still plenty of time to register a team and start training for the run. For details contact Rebecca.Mann@TheMoodieReport.com, or visit www.handinhandforhaiti.com INTERNATIONAL. Stuart Bull, one of the most influential and respected confectionery executives in travel retail, bid an emotional farewell to Mars the company he has represented for 40 years at a special celebration in Cannes last week. In a humorous, poignant and moving speech, Bull reflected on his career with the company, which took him from the back streets of Liverpool in 1970 right around the world, where he was instrumental in opening many new markets for the company. He told guests at the celebration in the Carlton Hotel: Mars is a wonderful business. We never forget it s a family business and has some fantastic people working there. It has been an exciting and stimulating place in which to spend [much of my] life. I was in charge of getting Mars products into many countries around the world (and have been to 129 of them), but I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, when Mars was on the verge of a huge expansion. I ve had many adventures, which will eventually become chapters in the book I d love to write about my life. But the most important thing, and the thing I m proud to say to this day, is that I am the man from Mars. MIDDLE EAST. Philip Eckles has been named as Managing Director of Aer Rianta International Middle East, replacing John Sutcliffe who will retire on 31 December. Sutcliffe has been among the key influential figures in the rise of the company, and of Middle Eastern duty free, since helping to create ARI-ME in 1993. He was previously a vital player in the rise of Dubai Duty Free in its early years. Eckles, currently the travel retailer s Regional Manager for North America & the Caribbean, will take over Sutcliffe's responsibilities in the Middle East from January. Further details appear at www.themoodiereport.com Thank you for your readership and support of The Moodie Report. Martin Moodie, Founder and Publisher Page 9