Dufry Group

Dufry Group is a business that is involved in the Global Travel Retail industry. The company was founded in 1865 in Basel, Switzerland and now manages operations in 65 countries. The group has been owned by Advent International since 2004. Dufry Group offers confectionery, food products, wines & spirits, cosmetics, jewelry, electronics, fashion, etc. by 2018, Dufry Group operated a total of 2346 shops under various banners. 

Dufry Group offers over 50000 references and has 20% market share in airport travel retail. However, the company has shops not only in airports but in border cities, cruise liners, ferries, railway and underground stations, touristic areas, hotels, resorts, casinos, etc. The company also works with various airline companies, providing products for the in-flight service. Furthermore, Dufry Group also operates diplomatic shops in Ghana and Australia that offer products at duty-free prices. 

Dufry Group counts around 2.5 billion customers. 

Dufry Group has expanded mainly by acquiring various businesses in the travel retail industry. 

Since 2005, the group has been listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange. Between 2006 to 2015, Dufry Group has acquired a number of travel retail businesses in various parts of the world including Argentina, Brazil, Armenia, Russia, Greece, Switzerland, etc. Some of these companies are Hudson Group, Nuance Group, Folli Follie, etc.

 One of its major acquisitions was World Duty Free which has a network of travel retail shops in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, etc. This takeover which took place in 2015, has helped Dufry secure a strong market position in these regions. 

In 2016, Dufry Group was one of the 30 largest Swiss companies to be listed on SIX Swiss Exchange. 

In 2017, Dufry Group introduced a new concept, the New Generation Stores which makes use of various digital applications and technology to provide customers with a shopping experience that is outstanding. The shopping environment keeps changing throughout the day and showcase brands that will best fit the customer’s taste. Furthermore, the innovative displays feature different languages. There are 6 New Generation Stores across the world currently. 

Dufry Group operates stores under various different banners such as (but not limited to):

• Dufry

• Nuance

• World Duty Free

• Hellenic Duty Free

In addition to these, Dufry Group also manages over 140 brand boutiques in different airports across the world. These are luxury brands such as Armani, Jimmy Choo, MAC, MaxMara, Christian Dior, Hugo Boss, Michael Kors, Mango, Swarovski, etc. 

Dufry Group also operates several convenience stores offering food and drinks as well as souvenirs, electronics, etc. Dufry Group operates around 550 convenience stores in North America and 135 in other parts of the world. 

Dufry Group also runs specialized shops which are centered on only one category or theme and feature several brands. There are over 670 specialized shops under Dufry Group offering products such as spirits, food, jewelry, sunglasses, etc. Some of these shops are: Master of Time which offers luxury watches and jewelry, World of Whiskies which specialises in fine whiskies and Atelier for leather accessories for women. 

In 2018, Dufry Group registered a turnover of € 8136 million, indicating a growth of revenue of 3.7%. 90% of its sales are from the airport travel retail sector. Over 30000 employees are employed by the firm. 

Dufry Group offers an extensive range of products under the following categories:

• Drinks: whiskeys,spirits, tequilas, etc.

• Personal Care: fragrances, makeup, skincare, supplements, etc.

• Savory Grocery: a wide range of food items.

• Sweet Grocery: a large variety of confectionery products. 

Brands such as Bottega Veneta, MAC, MaxMara, Christian Dior, etc are available. 

Suppliers working with Dufry Group gain global exposure for their products which are featured in various locations across the world, reaching a huge number of customers. 

Dufry Group has also released a Supplier Code of Conduct which complies all the legal and ethical norms by which all suppliers must abide to. These include labour and employment practices, environmental compliance and product safety laws. 

Concerning the logistics, Dufry Group operates 3 main distribution centres. The warehouse in Barcelona distributes to 81 delivery points in Southern Europe, Africa, and Central Europe. The warehouse based in Runnymede serves the UK and some countries in Eastern Europe, Asia, Middle East and Australia.  The warehouse in Hong Kong distributes to the US, Eastern Europe, Asia, Middle East, Australia, North America and South America. The logistics is highly efficient and handles major shipments. 

It must be noted that Dufry Group has been making huge efforts to reduce CO2 emissions, opting for shipping by sea where possible or by road. The company also works with logistics partners which share the same values concerning sustainability. 

Concerning packaging, Dufry Group encourages recycling by sorting all packages into different containers and sending them to recycling centres, hence outsourcing the recycling operations. Dufry Group also works with different airport sustainability teams in order to improve recycling systems and reduce energy consumption.