At ARI we recently carried out a survey to find out passengers’ opinions on travel retail, and the results show an astounding 8 out of 10 international travellers surveyed said that the duty free experience brings them joy!

This research was carried out face-to-face with a broad demographic of passengers travelling internationally at Dublin Airport’s Terminals 1 and 2 over several weeks, in the lead-up to the National Day of Joy which took place on 26^th June.

Since opening the very first duty free store in Shannon Airport, Ireland back in 1947, we continue to blaze a trail as a pioneer in the industry.

Colleagues from ARI locations throughout the globe have come together to celebrate the occasion with a collaborative and bespoke video showcasing some of the most joyful locations in their countries, to the backdrop of a beautiful original recording of John Legend’s “If You’re Out There” sung by Solveiga Pangoniene from the ARI Global Retail Excellence team, with the support of many other team members joining in song.

You can watch the video below!

In every ARI location worldwide, customers and colleagues alike were invited to join in the celebrations with the stores alight with decorations, entertainment, musicians in-store, free gifts with purchase tastings of local products in each location, beauty treatments, and free samples to highlight the special occasion. It is testament to the fact that joy is more than a feeling; it is a strategic asset that drives business growth while strengthening relationships and elevating experiences for passengers, airport partners and colleagues alike.

Some of the great Joy celebrations from ARI locations:

In Portugal, the teams have developed a month-long campaign, to celebrate their 2^nd anniversary since joining the ARI group, along with the wonderful occasion of the National Day of Joy! The team have introduced new mascots for each location, wearing the vibrant yellow colour of Portugal Duty Free, to bring joy and fun to travellers as they pass through the stores.

At Abu Dhabi Duty Free both customers and colleagues were engaged in treasure hunts, trivia quizzes, balloons, props and treats in-store and a fun joy jar to encourage sharing of joyful moments.

In Montenegro, the focus was on sampling local products along with customer gifts, cakes, and decorations in-store.

In Montreal, the team are planned lots of activities and treats for colleagues, along with tastings in-store of liquor and chocolates, with lots of fun engagement from the Montreal Airport mascot!

In Barbados, there was a party vibe in full swing, with DJs in-store at all three locations, giveaways for customers and fusion cocktail mixes by a professional mixologist. There were treats and balloons for children, and teams in-store dressed in bright red and orange colours to inspire an atmosphere of fun!

At Cyprus Duty Free there was a magician and family entertainer in-store, with lots of tastings both at the cocktail bar and of confectionery, with a burst of fantastic music to lift the spirits! All of the teams at Cyprus Duty Free were wearing Joy t-shirts to set the mood and there were free chocolates for customers with every purchase.

In Delhi Duty Free in-store signage and team badges said “Your happiness is our priority”, as the team distributed complimentary chocolates to passengers. There was also an exclusive social media competition running to encourage customers to share their moments of joy to win a mix of exciting prizes.

At Ahlan Avenue Duty Free in Riyadh, National Day of Joy activities included an ice cream machine, popcorn, a face painting artist and a selfie station to capture joyful moments and make the celebrations memorable for passengers and colleagues.

In Ireland, the occasion of the National Day of Joy coincided with a complete rebrand of the businesses in Dublin and Cork, and the team has enjoyed a full week of celebrations in store with a DJ, face painting, sampling and free Butler’s chocolates and other great gift giveaways to engage passengers and bring a real sense of retailtainment to the stores.

Along with those few examples, across all ARI locations worldwide the occasion was brought to life to harness the universal emotion of joy, one which transcends cultures and borders, to enhance the travel experience for customers.