Lagardère Travel Retail: contactless, eco-friendly and ready for the future
For Lagardère Travel Retail, contactless shopping is about enhancing customer satisfaction, service and convenience; its Pay & Go mobile self-checkout stands as an innovative alternative solution for customers
Lagardère Travel Retail is at the forefront of cutting-edge contactless shopping experiences. Embracing self- and mobile-checkout options along with eco-friendly digital receipts, Lagardère Travel Retail is redefining convenience and sustainability in travel retail. Self-checkout kiosks, instrumental in enhancing customer satisfaction, significantly contribute to operational efficiency, particularly during peak hours, accounting for a substantial portion of transactions in duty-free stores.
Customer satisfaction
For the retailer, contactless shopping is about enhancing customer satisfaction, service and convenience. “Mobile checkout, specifically the Pay & Go mobile self-checkout, stands as an innovative alternative solution for customers. The emphasis on speed and minimized contact aligns with safety and health protocols, contributing to a safer and more efficient shopping experience,” says Jimmy Motte - Head of Digital & Innovation at Lagardère Travel Retail. “Self-checkout enhances customer satisfaction, service, and convenience while freeing up staff to focus on service and advice. It boosts the Stop ratio by generating additional transactions, capturing new customers, especially during peak hours.”
Sustainable receipts
As sustainability has become more important both ecologically and in customers’ minds, Lagardère Travel Retail introduced eco-friendly digital receipts in collaboration with ReceiptHero, to reduce the carbon footprint by eliminating paper receipts. “Not only does it offer retailers an environmentally friendly alternative, but digital receipts also serve as an effective marketing channel and a tool for fostering customer loyalty,” says Motte.
In other developments, Lagardère Travel Retail continues to prioritize and develop close relationships with airlines, collaborating to develop optimal solutions in the interest of passengers and airports. Motte explains: “We have successfully established partnerships with airlines, such as our collaboration with Airpoints™, Air New Zealand's loyalty program. Customers can now easily utilize their points for payments, elevating the shopping experience to a new level.”
Goods Express at Charlotte Douglas International Airport is Paradies Lagardère’s first retail location to offer Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. Recognizing the shifting landscape, decision-makers at Lagardère Travel Retail believe that cashier-less shopping is poised to become the next major trend in the retail industry
Agile and strategic
The company's strategic approach involves rapid innovation testing and continuous evaluation, ensuring they remain ahead in offering seamless, technology-driven travel experiences. A notable example is their collaboration with Amazon's Just Walk Out technology at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, setting new standards in retail efficiency and convenience.
“Goods Express at Charlotte Douglas International Airport is Paradies Lagardère’s first retail location to offer Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology,” says Motte. “This innovative retail space is crafted to meet the needs of on-the-go travelers, setting a new standard for speed, convenience, and quality. Customers enter the shop using their app or credit card. The system then detects items taken from or returned to the shelves, creating a virtual shopping session. This eliminates the need to wait in line for payment before exiting the store, offering a high level of efficiency for travelers.”
With ambitious strategy and an agile organization, Lagardère Travel Retail is focusing on quick innovation testing and continuous value monitoring for landlords and travelers. “Our broad network of innovators draws from global experiences to offer support and guidance to landlords for the implementation of improvements stemming from new initiatives,” says Motte. “We are continuously redefining and enhancing travel experiences through the seamless integration of autonomous technology into our network.”
New trends emerge
As consumer expectations for contactless experiences grow, Lagardère Travel Retail anticipates the rise of cashier-less shopping as a key trend, driven by a shift towards digital transactions and autonomous shopping solutions. The company’s vision for the future includes expanding automated store technologies across continents, emphasizing the ongoing demand for contactless retail solutions.
“As consumer demands for enhanced convenience and speed continue to rise, we eagerly anticipate leading the way in introducing innovative solutions and retail concepts,” says Motte. “Our goal is to not only meet but exceed the expectations of both travelers and partners. The significance of contactless passenger experiences has evolved from a nice-to-have feature to an essential aspect for maintaining competitiveness.”
Recognizing the shifting landscape, decision-makers at Lagardère Travel Retail believe that cashier-less shopping is poised to become the next major trend in the retail industry. “The digital shift accelerated during the pandemic, with widespread adoption of contactless payments, increased reliance on e-commerce, and the surge in online learning,” says Motte.
There is clear demand for autonomous shopping, providing passengers with a swift, contactless, and seamless shopping experience. Travelers also now anticipate more from brick-and-mortar stores, seeking a novel and enhanced shopping experience, Jimmy Motte suggests.
Continuous evolution
“Our extensive network of innovators leverages our global experience to support and advise landlords on improvements generated by new initiatives. For instance, we operate automated stores across three continents, utilizing five separate technologies and a wide array of applications. As the demand for contactless shopping will continue to rise, we will make sure to continue to always stay one step ahead of the curve.”
