Red by Dufry will become an even bigger loyalty program, Club Avolta.
kevin rosario
Avolta, the world’s largest airport retailer, has for the first time introduced a loyalty scheme across its store network of approximately 5,100 stores in more than 70 countries.
The club, called Club Avolta, will replace the current Red by Dufry program. Dufry was Avolta’s name before it merged with food and beverage (F&B) company Autogrill. The difference is that the new plan includes all of the company’s duty-free stores, as well as duty-free shops, eateries and boutiques operated by the company.
Since combining the two companies, Avolta has served approximately 500 million customers, making the idea of a full-fledged global loyalty scheme a viable proposition. In a statement, the company described Club Avolta as “the industry’s first loyalty program” and promised to expand the program to airports, airlines, hotels and more, without naming the companies.
Avolta’s CEO made the announcement on Monday at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes. The trade show, which concludes on Thursday, is the annual gathering of the global duty-free industry. At the packed event, CEO Xavier Rossignol said the project’s initial aim was to increase enrollment, but to ensure long-term sales growth through improved data. Explained the reason behind it.
he told the audience: “Every retailer has a loyalty program, but we truly believe ours is different. We’ve been working on this for a year. Available at 5,000 points of sale worldwide. Loyalty programs, by definition, are for frequent flyers; This is the first time I have received such a comprehensive offer.”
Rossignol said that in addition to typical benefits such as promotions and discounts that are rolled out “gradually”, users can enjoy entertainment, experiences with big brands, instant benefits, airport VIP services and “possibly linkage with frequent flyer miles. ”, he said. account. “The option to donate to charities and worthy causes will also be part of this plan.
Data-driven decision making
The program is designed to integrate with a number of existing airport loyalty schemes. Avolta claims that it will provide brand partners with “increased visibility into purchasing behavior” and enable data-driven investments going forward.
Rossignol said: “Our diversification across travel retail, F&B and convenience provides us with a competitive advantage through our ability to generate insights from unique data points.For our members, Club Avolta begins as a simple transaction. But it quickly becomes a habit and eventually a lifestyle. This program has given me a deeper understanding of my clients.”
Some observers, including one airport landlord who attended the show, expressed doubts about whether Avolta would be able to attract enough members to conduct large-scale data analysis. However, even on a small scale, travel retail memberships can be helpful.
A competitor, Gebr’s Heinemann & Me program, was able to use customer insights to offer tailored promotions and services. Members of the scheme can earn points at all Heinemann shops in Australia, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Hungary, Italy and Norway, as well as shops on cruise ships, primarily based in Europe.
Rossignol also sees the big picture. “The number of potential customers in our industry is increasing by 3.5% every year. This may not seem like much, but this means that the population doubles every three years. , we’ll be in contact with 10 billion travelers this year, and in 15 years it’ll be 20 billion yen. No one has that.”
