This is a major development for the company at the most connected airport in the world. This opening marks the first of four RELAY stores at the airport, totaling 1,360m² of retail space. The first store, located on the upper level and covering 420m², opens today, with the remaining three stores scheduled to open progressively over the course of the year.
The opening was marked today with a ceremonial event held on site, bringing together Heathrow and Lagardère Travel Retail teams as well as key partners Waitrose and Paydens Group. The ceremony was attended by senior Heathrow executives Ross Baker, Chief Customer Officer, and Fraser Brown, Retail Director, alongside Frédéric Chevalier, CEO & Chairman of Lagardère Travel Retail, Lucio Rossetto, Regional COO Europe, and Peter Newbould, CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail UK & Ireland.
In line with the planned schedule, the opening of the first RELAY store in T2 brings to life a blended and highly versatile concept combining travel essentials, food-to-go, pharmacy services and curated convenience, designed to meet the needs of today’s Heathrow passengers and to adapt to their broad, constantly evolving expectations.
At the heart of the offer, RELAY brings together strong partnerships with leading UK brands, including Waitrose and Paydens. Waitrose brings quality, convenience and strong brand recognition with a food-to-go offering tailored to passengers at Heathrow, while Paydens enhances the RELAY concept with dedicated pharmacy items, contributing to a comprehensive and coherent range of products and services.
As the world’s number-one Travel Essentials brand, RELAY is designed to combine international consistency with strong local relevance. This opening at Heathrow reflects Lagardère Travel Retail’s approach to building concepts that are adapted to each airport environment while maintaining a recognizable and consistent customer experience.
At Heathrow, this approach translates into a curated offer that reflects the spirit of the destination, including locally inspired gifting and travel souvenirs such as Paddington-themed ranges, reinforcing the connection between the airport, its passengers and Britain’s rich culture.
This ambition is part of RELAY’s broader commitment to continuously push the boundaries of convenience retail, focusing on making the travel experience simpler, more relevant and more seamless for passengers, wherever they travel.
“At Heathrow, we’re continually evolving our retail offer to give passengers greater choice and convenience. We’re delighted to welcome the UK’s first RELAY store to Terminal 2, combining travel essentials, quality food-to-go and pharmacy services in one place. Partnerships with Lagardère Travel Retail, alongside trusted British brands such as Waitrose and Paydens, help ensure we’re meeting the needs of today’s travelers as we continue to make every journey better, and build an airport fit for the future,” states Fraser Brown, Retail Director at Heathrow.
Frédéric Chevalier, Chief Executive Officer of Lagardère Travel Retail, said: “The launch of RELAY at Heathrow is a landmark for our company. For decades Heathrow has been at the forefront of innovation in travel retail, and we are honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the airport’s future commercial development. The opening of RELAY in T2 reflects our ability to combine global expertise with strong local partnerships to create retail concepts that resonate with travelers. Opening here is a vital strategic development for our UK business, and we are grateful to Heathrow for their trust and spirit of partnership.”
“We are extremely proud to officially open our first RELAY store at Heathrow Terminal 2. This is not only a milestone for Lagardère Travel Retail in the UK, but also a clear demonstration of what we believe makes our company strong: the ability to deliver on our promises through agility, expertise and strong partnerships. We are very grateful for the trust placed in us by Heathrow and our brand partners, and we are fully focused on setting new standards for convenience retailing in the UK,” commented Peter Newbould, CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail UK & Ireland.
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