Heathrow’s Shift To Blended Retail Is A Big Win For Relay And WH Smith
Key Takeaways
Heathrow is implementing a new strategy to improve its convenience shopping offer, and WH Smith and Relay are the partners that will need to make it work.
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5 min read
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investment
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July 19, 2025
03:37 PM
Forbes
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Re suggests that Interestingly, What caught my attention is RetailHeathrow’s Shift To Bl Retail Is A Big Win For Relay And WH SmithByKevin Rozario, Contributor
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights
Kevin covers retail, airports, and the global traveling shopper, amid market uncertainty
AuthorJul 19, 2025, 03:37pm EDTJul 19, 2025, 04:04pm EDTThe French Relay brand (shown here at Lisbon Airport) is coming to the U
Moreover, Furthermore, For the first time
More (Photo by Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)Corbis via Getty Images So-called ‘bl retail’ is coming to London Heathrow Airport ing a review of the airport’s convenience/travel essentials retail offering to passengers
On the other hand, As a result, new concepts from France’s Relay brand, owned by Lagardère Travel Retail (LTR), and from existing partner, WH Smith, will be launching soon (noteworthy indeed)
Nevertheless, The Relay fascia is debuting belatedly in the U, given current economic conditions. , having already spread to many airports in Europe and the United States, with the latter market being served via LTR’s subsidiary, Paradies Lagardère
In total, the brand is present in apximately 300 airports worldwide, with the most recent launch at Türkiye’s Antalya Airport
Nevertheless, In contrast, The new deal with the two retailers will lead to the implementation of bl stores appearing across all of Heathrow’s four terminals (T2, T3, T4, and T5)
Additionally, From summer 2026, Relay will launch its offer in Terminal 2—The Queen’s Terminal, where four stores will have a total foot of more than 14,6000 square feet
In the upper-level departures area, a 4,500-square-foot unit will have a pharmacy alongside a mix of travel essentials
The largest of the lower-level shops (at 5,300 square feet) in the main retail thoroughfare, will offer books, souvenirs, toys, and to-go food and drink
Furthermore, LTR will also operate a satellite ‘Discover’ souvenir concept store and a landside Relay shop in the check-in hall
The data indicates that CEO of LTR UK & Ireland, Peter Newbould, said he was hopeful the new contract would open doors: “By making Relay a success at Heathrow, we will open up further opportunities to develop our three lines across the U (which is quite significant)
Moreover, ” LTR’s new joint-CEO, Frédéric Chevalier, has described Heathrow as “renowned for its gressive and inventive apach to commercial activities,” and having Relay stores there will certainly shine a light on the concept, which has been expanding globally (remarkable data)
Meanwhile, WH Smith gets the bulk of the new concessions, in today's market environment
Additionally, It will open travel essentials stores in T3 and T4, and extend its presence in T5. -listed retailer will also become the main airside health and beauty vider in T3 and T4, and will vide a pharmacy offer across each of the three terminals
A coffee and bakery service will also be part of the mix
The changes, once, mean WH Smith will operate more than 20 stores at the London hub
Furthermore, MORE FOR YOU Re drives Heathrow move Heathrow said that the changes are based on back from thousands of passengers how retail can support time-pressed travellers
Hence the decision to put key duct such as news, books, health and beauty under one roof in each terminal
At the same time, The airport’s retail director, Fraser Brown, said the new retail strategy would be “transformational
Furthermore, Meanwhile, ” On extending its relationship with WH Smith, he added: “For nearly 80 years, Heathrow and WHSmith have had a successful partnership, bringing new and innovative retail experiences for passengers. ” WH Smith has tried-and-tested bl retail stores at Heathrow
On the other hand, This one is in T2
Additionally, Meanwhile, Kevin Rozario Andrew Harrison, CEO of WH Smith UK Travel, described its one-stop-shop format as “a ven model” and added that the company would, ing this deal, be “taking a significant step forward” in its health, beauty, and pharmacy position at Heathrow
Re commissioned by WH Smith in 2023 to understand passenger views on its retailing at the London hub identified a demand for a broader essentials offering where passengers could find a range of ducts in one place (an important development)
The same year, Heathrow commissioned some of its own re using Trinity McQueen, a consultancy specializing in behavioral insights and market re (noteworthy indeed), considering recent developments
Meanwhile, It found that the strongest motivator for passengers to pick up travel essentials from the airport is knowing they could get everything they needed quickly (just under a quarter of 1,075 participants said so)
Conversely, A week ago, Heathrow unveiled a sizeable £10 billion ($13
Nevertheless, 5 billion), five-year investment plan to imve service levels
As part of the fully privately financed ject that will add—for the first time in a decade—new terminal space for lounges, shops, and restaurants within its terminals
Nevertheless, At the same time, On completion, assuming the airport gets apval from Britain’s civil aviation authority, Heathrow will be able to serve 10 million more passengers a year, a 12% increase in capacity
What the re reveals is will support airlines’ growth plans and help keep the hub in pole position as Europe’s busiest gateway
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