Solo travel has gone mainstream, fuelled by Millennials and Gen Z shoppers who seek purpose, autonomy and personal growth. The solo-travel market was valued at USD $482.5 billion in 2024 and projections suggest the global solo travel market could potentially exceed USD $1 trillion by 2030. The solo mindset is reshaping retail, wellness, technology, human resources strategies and workplace policies, pushing travel and tourism entities to design for one, enable self-directed consumers, and support flexible work lifestyles.

In this edition of m1nd-ful, “On My Own – Solo Travellers in GTR ”, we explore the dynamics of this growing traveller – and travel shopper – segment, unveiling the growth drivers behind the solo travel boom. We also reveal the unique shopper behaviour or solo travels across the airport, cruise and ferry travel retail environments, looking at the key performance indicators (KPIs) as well as shopping drivers and buying behaviour.

We hope you find it insightful!

It is important to remember that while Millennials are today’s key spenders, Gen Z already represents a much larger global population and will surpass Millennials as the largest air passenger group by 2028, making them of considerably greater strategic importance in the long term.

The average spend in global travel retail today is US$128. The spend levels vary significantly of course, across the segments. The segment that spends the highest amount, Millennial business travellers, splashes out $151, while the lowest spending segment, Boomers, spends $107.

In this edition of m1nd-ful, “Hey Big Spender”, we make a deep dive into the profile of travel retail’s high spenders today, to define who they are, their average spend, why they visit the stores and why they purchase, what they purchase, and who for, among other key shopping behaviour criteria. Throughout the sections, we compare the shopping behaviour of these big spenders to that of the lowest spenders and the global average, across all criteria.

We hope you find it insightful!

 

Shoppers today are increasingly exhibiting spontaneous behaviour in their in-store purchase decisions, a trend that is reshaping the way brands and retailers think about physical retail environments globally, as well as in travel retail. While planned purchases remain important, there is a growing openness among consumers to make decisions in the moment, influenced by a combination of emotional, environmental, and digital triggers.

In this edition of m1nd-ful, “Understanding shopper spontaneity in Travel Retail”, we explore the trends, tools and techniques that are driving spontaneity in retail and travel retail today, with a detailed analysis of how these trends have been evolving over recent years in travel retail specifically. We look at the growing tendency of impulse-driven purchases in travel retail, with a focus on the evolution drivers to purchase, the increasing tendency to make the decision to purchase in-store, and the growing influence of staff as a human touchpoint in the decision-making process.

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As summer travel peaks across the continent, this month’s edition of m1nd-ful, “European Traveller Spotlight”, puts the spotlight on European international travellers: their flight patterns, destination preferences, and Travel Retail shopping behaviour.

We reveal which nationalities are driving traffic, highlight the busiest airports, and unpack how European travellers are spending both their time and money in airport retail environments.

From evolving shopper profiles and generational purchase motivations to the latest KPIs and engagement trends, this edition provides actionable insights for brands and retailers looking to better connect with the European shopper.

We hope you find it insightful!

American travellers are making a strong comeback on the global stage in 2025. Outbound travel has surpassed pre-pandemic levels and Americans are the leading nationality in terms of international traffic, accounting for 10% of international departures. Despite this, Europe will lose out as a destination compared to 2024.

However, global economic and geopolitical headwinds are reshaping travel patterns. Geopolitical tensions have dampened inbound tourism, leading international visitor spend in the US to drop significantly in 2025.

These contrasting trends, surging outbound travel and selective international booking, will make 2025 a pivotal year for travel retail. In this month’s edition of m1nd‑ful, titled “US Traveller Tailwinds & Turbulence” we’ll unpack how these macro trends are influencing traveller and shopper behaviour, from how much Americans are spending, to how they are shopping and how travel retailers can engage this evolving customer segment.

We hope you find it insightful!

South Korean outbound travellers are known for their strong appetite for shopping and high-spend levels. South Koreans prioritize shopping as a core part of their travel experience, and while spend in some categories at home has fallen in recent months, South Koreans are splashing out more in Duty Free over the past year. International travel is on the rise, well ahead of the pre-Covid levels, with popular destinations such as Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and China, chosen for both their cultural and leisure appeal as well as for the luxury and local shopping experience.

 

In this month’s edition of m1nd-ful, titled “The K-Retail Effect”, we look at the attitudes to shopping among South Koreans in travel retail, the key demographics, how their footfall and conversion outperforms the global average, their planning behaviour and purchase purpose, as well as the core categories South Koreans are seduced by when shopping in travel retail.

 

We begin with a positive outlook on the growth and continued forecast growth among South Korean travellers.

 

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Product authenticity is a vital component of building meaningful, long-lasting relationships with consumers. Brands that emphasise authenticity are considerably more likely to generate trust and encourage loyalty among consumers.  Brands perceived as genuine tend to develop deeper emotional connections, leading to repeat purchases.

 

Trust is a crucial factor for businesses in the international marketplace aiming to convince, convert and develop a longstanding relationship with consumers. Travel retail provides a secure environment for consumers seeking authentic products while abroad. They are reassured by the reputation of the travel retail stakeholders. They know they can trust the retailers, knowing that that  the sector’s watertight supply chain in the international travel space makes it considerably less likely for counterfeit goods to enter this market.

 

This presents a largely untapped opportunity for the global Duty Free and Travel Retail (DF & TR) sector.  In this month’s edition of m1nd-ful, titled “The untapped opportunity: authenticity and trust in travel retail”, we uncover some of the main concerns among international shoppers when purchasing abroad, we look at the advantages for consumers when purchasing in travel retail and consider some of the most important marketing messages when communicating with consumers about the travel retail environment for shopping. We also explore what international travellers say about travel retail as a secure place for shopping vis a vis fake goods, to underline the importance of focusing on product authenticity in the marketing mix.

 

We hope you find it insightful!

Self-indulgence in travel retail is on the rise. Understanding the motivations and behaviours behind self-purchasing can help industry stakeholders tailor their strategies to address and seduce this growing self-indulgent segment. In this month’s edition of m1nd-ful titled “All about me – Self-indulgence as a shopping driver in travel retail” we analyse the evolving trends in self-purchasing within the global travel retail sector, comparing it to other purchase purposes.

 

We highlight shifts in drivers to visit the Duty Free stores from the pre-Covid era until 2024 and focus on the motivations for purchasing, spending behaviour, and appeal factors. We also explore the demographic profiles, product category preferences and the role of impulse versus planned purchases among global shoppers in travel retail to demonstrate the differences in consumer behaviour when self-purchasing.

 

We hope you find it insightful!

In this month’s edition of m1nd-ful for 2025 titled “Travel Retail Oasis: Middle East Shopper Trends”, we look at the traveller and shopper behaviour in the Middle East. With a focus on air traffic in the region, we analyse the top airports and key nationalities flying from the region.

 

We also deep dive into the shopper behaviour among travellers from the Middle East with comprehensive insights into demographics, visit and purchase drivers, interaction levels, purchase planning, and evolving consumer preferences. This edition also examines the growing importance of sustainability, key shopping motivations, and the barriers that influence purchasing decisions among Middle Eastern travellers.

 

We hope you find it insightful!

There have been significant shifts in travel retail shopper profiles over recent years, including both key demographic and behavioural changes. Among the most notable is the rising importance of eco-conscious priorities, including sustainable packaging, ingredients, and production processes.

 

In this first edition of m1nd-ful for 2025 titled “Winds of change: how demographics and behaviour are redefining Travel Retail”, we look at how both Duty Free shoppers’ profiles and their decision-making process have evolved over recent years. Through a comprehensive analysis focusing on demographics, travel behaviour, purchase planning and sustainability preferences, we study the evolutions from the pre-Covid era, between 2017 and Q1 2020, to the post-Covid recovery period from 2021 – 2024.

 

We will also explore how trends in both product category mix and the number of categories purchased have evolved, as well as motivations behind purchases, highlighting the regional differences, particularly in the wake of Covid-19. We will also look at how shoppers’ decision-making moments, such as pre-flight or during travel, have evolved. Finally, the research identifies the key barriers to purchase among non-buyers in Duty Free shops, such as lack of interest or limited options, and how these challenges have evolved since pre-Covid times.

 

We hope you find it insightful!