FRÉDÉRIC CHEVALIER
Chief Executive Officer of Lagardère Travel Retail
What were the key highlights of 2025?
“In 2025, the sustained recovery in global air traffic was confirmed in an environment once again characterised by significant geopolitical and economic instability. Against this backdrop, Lagardère Travel Retail delivered a solid performance and continued its development, consolidating its positions worldwide.
The year marked our entry into five new countries (Albania, Cambodia, Cameroon, Rwanda and Turkey), confirming our momentum in emerging markets. We also significantly strengthened our presence in some of the world’s most strategic hubs thanks to major tender wins in Frankfurt (Germany), London Heathrow (United Kingdom), Sydney (Australia), Atlanta (United States) and Singapore, as well as in other leading airports.
Among other highlights of the year, we took over all Duty Free operations at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Netherlands) in just six months without any disruption to the passenger experience, a clear demonstration of our operational excellence. Furthermore, as we celebrated its 25th anniversary, our flagship brand Relay stepped up the pace of its international rollout.
Lastly, the expansion of our global network continued, with numerous openings across our three business segments in the United States and South America (Peru and Chile), the Middle East (Saudi Arabia), Asia-Pacific (Cambodia, Australia and New Zealand), Europe (France, Italy, etc.) and Africa.”
Which major CSR initiatives were rolled out in 2025?
“2025 was a year of several pivotal achievements, starting with the validation of our climate targets by the SBTi, confirming that our decarbonisation trajectory aligns with the most rigorous scientific standards. We also joined the LESS initiative alongside major French retailers to harmonise carbon data reporting from our respective suppliers via a shared platform, thereby facilitating data collection and driving transparency.
Our CSR commitments were also reflected in the strengthening of existing initiatives, such as our global partnership with Too Good To Go, whose fight against food waste now spans over 20 countries and more than 300 outlets.
Lastly, we continued our initiatives in support of local communities, notably through our programme with UN Women to promote women’s economic empowerment and local entrepreneurship in our host regions.”
What is the outlook for 2026?
“2026 will build on the momentum we have already established. Despite a persistently uncertain economic and geopolitical backdrop, demand is expected to remain high.
Several major projects are on the horizon, including openings in Travel Essentials and Dining in Düsseldorf and Frankfurt (Germany), the first Relay store at London Heathrow and the new Duty Free area at London Luton, as well as the modernisation of the Duty Free facilities at Auckland (New Zealand).
We will also continue to transform our commercial organisation and consolidate our operational excellence. Specifically, we will increase the integration of artificial intelligence into our processes to drive performance through granular trend analysis of the customer mix, intelligent pricing and assortment recommendations, and an enhanced customer experience.
Lastly, CSR and support for local communities remain key commitments, notably as we pursue our carbon emissions reduction targets. We also remain fully committed to consolidating our status as an employer of choice.”