On location: Gebr. Heinemann reflects on a successful 2024
GTR Magazine's Senior Correspondent Atoosa Ryanne Arfa with Gebr. Heinemann executive leadership team Max Heinemann, Raoul Spanger and Inken Callsen
GTR Magazine was on location at Gebr. Heinemann's annual press conference at its Hamburg headquarters, where the company unveiled the 2024 Annual Business & Sustainability Report and shared key updates from the past year.
Heinemann closed the 2024 financial year with a turnover of €4.3 billion, surpassing the €4 billion mark and increasing from €3.6 billion in 2023. Co-CEOs Max Heinemann and Raoul Spanger, along with Chief Commercial Officer Inken Callsen, highlighted key milestones including operations at Jeddah Airport, retail launches aboard Saudi Arabia’s first cruise ship AROYA and Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas, as well as new concessions at Noida, Keflavik, and Antalya airports.
“We saw strong performance across the majority of our sales regions, gained many new customers in distribution, and expanded our activities,” shared Spanger. “This result is very satisfying.”
Regional performance
Middle East & Africa, contributing 33% of revenue, is a key growth area for Heinemann. Istanbul Airport, operated with Unifree Duty Free and ATU Duty Free, continues to outperform expectations, while the company also celebrated a significant milestone in Turkey with the Antalya Airport tender win in September. To further strengthen its presence in the Middle East, Heinemann has recently upgraded its Dubai office, which opened in 2023, to regional headquarters. The appointment of Bernard Schlafstein as CEO of Heinemann Middle East Africa and plans for a new logistics hub in Istanbul by 2026 also highlight the company’s commitment to its partners and customers in the region.
Europe remains the backbone of Gebr. Heinemann’s business, accounting for 56% of turnover. Recent highlights include securing a tender at Iceland’s Keflavik Airport, set to begin in May 2025, and the expansion of the Main Shop Plaza at Vienna’s Terminal 1 from 1,200 square meters to 2,000 square meters, making it Austria’s largest travel retail space.
In Asia Pacific, which accounts for 9% of sales, Gebr. Heinemann has experienced a 50% reduction in spending per Chinese traveler, especially affecting Sydney and Kuala Lumpur. In response, the company has restructured its operations to maintain efficiency in this market. The company remains optimistic about its recent tender win at Noida Airport, viewing India as an emerging market in travel retail and observing the Indian consumer gaining momentum across their entire customer portfolio.
Channel strength
Airport retail generated 72% of turnover, followed by border shops at 8%, cruises & ferries at 6%, and inflight sales at 3%. Other channels, including diplomatic retail, free-trade zones, military bases, and NOBILIS GROUP, contributed 11%.
Highlights include cruise retail launches aboard Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas and AROYA, featuring over 250 brands and 30+ staff; Jeddah Airport operations with Jordanian Duty Free Shops and ASTRA Group; and partnership renewals with Color Line ferries and eurotrade (Munich Airport’s subsidiary).
The retail debut aboard Saudi Arabia’s first-ever cruise ship, AROYA, marks a new milestone for Gebr. Heinemann at sea
Value from collaboration
2024 marked Heinemann’s 145th anniversary, reflecting its legacy as a family-owned business and its continued commitment to long-term thinking.
“We think in generations, and our employees and partners can count on that,” said Max Heinemann, Co-CEO. “I’m especially pleased that my cousin Clara Heinemann is now the second member of the fifth generation actively involved in the company.”
Jeanette Sigari, Category Lead for Beauty, treated press attendees to a sensory moment, offering fragrance samples from top-performing niche brands and showcasing the stories behind their success
Heinemann emphasized that embracing new paths is a key driver of the company’s success, pointing to innovation as a core strength. This innovation, he noted, thrives on decentralized thinking, challenging norms, and reimagining the future of travel retail to unlock underlying long-term potential. “This requires collaboration on many different levels and across company boundaries, which we actively promote,” states Heinemann.
Chief Commercial Officer Inken Callsen echoed this mentality. “Our mission is to turn collaboration into value for the consumer and all stakeholders in travel retail,” she states.
A major initiative is the global assortment project led by Clara Heinemann. This project uses data to manage assortments more precisely and effectively. “Data-based work is relevant to all areas of travel retail,” said Callsen. “It creates value when actively utilized, such as in intelligent pricing and activating price advantages.”
Heinemann is also implementing engine-based, location-specific, and differentiated pricing as a new standard. “We are expanding our global strength by leveraging our know-how across all regions and channels. This enables us to strategically apply specific knowledge according to local requirements, such as concerning pricing insights and consumer behavior, and create genuine added value for consumers, B2B customers, brands, and landlords,” Callsen says.
The company continues to advocate for shared industry initiatives, such as campaigns against illicit trade and intellectual property theft. Heinemann supports the Duty Free: Trusted, Transparent, Secure campaign, engaging with government officials and enforcement agencies to raise awareness and promote zero-tolerance policies.
2030 sustainability goals
In 2024, Heinemann made significant progress toward its 2030 sustainability targets, focusing on four strategic pillars: Environment, Social, Governance, and Responsible Value Chain.
The 2024 Annual Business & Sustainability Report taken from the beautiful patio at the Gebr. Heinemann headquarters
The company aims for net-zero emissions in Scopes 1 and 2 by 2030. It has already reduced emissions by 50% from 2019 levels and is on track to meet its 2024 target. Although most emissions come from the supply chain (Scope 3), Heinemann is addressing this by switching to rail transport, using HVO fuel, and deploying e-trucks. A key initiative involves a partnership with Mars Logistics and Unifree Duty Free to shift from road to rail for transporting goods.
In terms of social responsibility, the company has rolled out a global strategy for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The company launched an internal policy and established a steering committee to drive DEI efforts. Governance-wise, the company expanded its Corporate Responsibility Committee to include three subcommittees focused on the environment, social issues, and responsible value chains. These subcommittees are central to monitoring progress toward the 2030 goals and ensuring that the company’s initiatives are aligned across all areas.
Heinemann works closely with suppliers for responsible value chains. In 2024, 70% of the company’s purchasing volume was evaluated through independent third-party assessments such as EcoVadis and B Corporation. Additionally, new green business plans have been signed with Diageo, Tony’s Chocolonely, and EssilorLuxottica, further building on the company’s existing partnership with L’Oréal.
“Our partners value our dedication to joint initiatives, and we receive high ratings in tenders for our socially and environmentally responsible concepts,” shares Spanger.
Category successes
Following the press conference, Heinemann’s leadership hosted a session on key drivers of growth in 2024. Frederike Lena Basala, Head of Sales Experience, discussed the company’s evolving approach to consumer-centricity.
Each category lead then shared performance highlights:
- Liquor, Tobacco & Confectionery saw a 17% year-over-year increase, accounting for 46% of turnover. Category lead Bastian-Phillip Müller credited creative, buzz-worthy campaigns, such as a Rod Stewart-themed Wolfie’s Whisky promotion at Hamburg Airport that drew 1.9 million Instagram views thanks to the artist’s personal endorsement.
The Wolfie’s Whisky display at Hamburg Airport turned heads as part of a Rod Stewart-themed campaign that pulled in 1.9 million Instagram views, fueled by the rock icon’s personal endorsement
- Beauty, led by Jeanette Sigari, grew 24%, with niche fragrances such as Creed and Cerruti 1881 driving a 29% increase. Fragrance now represents about 70% of Beauty sales.
The beauty category grew 24%, fueled by a 29% jump in niche fragrances highlighted by standout names like Creed and Cerruti 1881
- Fashion & Accessories, under Pamela Bergmeyer, rose 28%, making up 8% of turnover. Bergmeyer pointed out the key focus areas within the category, including a strong emphasis on the sunglasses segment.
Sunglasses remain a strategic growth driver within the Fashion & Accessories category, exemplified by this Rome Airport display, which blends local identity with premium merchandising displays
The company also continued their prioritization of niche innovation, including with unique “Test & Learn” pilots for emerging brands, targeting Gen Z customers. Recent successes include German beauty brand Kess Berlin and snack company KoRo.
Kess Berlin is one of the recent success stories from “Test & Learn” pilots, part of the company’s push to spotlight emerging niche brands and connect with Gen Z travelers
The press conference concluded with the unveiling of Heinemann’s new Tasting Bar concept, scheduled to launch in Copenhagen in June 2025. This innovative concept will showcase Heinemann categories by offering a full sensory experience for travelers.
The full Digital Gebr. Heinemann Annual Business & Sustainability Report 2024 is available to read here.
