Blog

Pre-trip communication in Travel Retail has traditionally been associated with driving purchase intent and encouraging shoppers to plan before they travel. And in many cases, it continues to play exactly that role. However, as levels of purchase planning continue to decline (a shift that accelerated during Covid and has continued to soften year on year) […]

A couple of weeks ago, we posted about the key shopper segments within the Travel Retail sector, with these including groups such as The Gifter, The Premium Seeker and The Value Hunter. This week, we thought it may interesting to deep dive into two distinct groups which collectively make up a fairly large proportion of […]

Traditional segmentation has always been difficult to apply in Travel Retail. Why? Because unlike a weekly supermarket shop, no two travel journeys are the same. A traveller’s mindset can change depending on the destination, purpose of travel, time available, or even how they’re feeling that day. That’s why behavioural segmentation is often far more valuable […]

At Pi Insight, we utilise a wide range of research methodologies depending on the objectives of the project and the specific questions our clients are trying to answer. However, one trend we’ve seen accelerating recently is the growing use of more advanced methodologies, particularly MaxDiff. In fact, we currently have two separate MaxDiff projects running […]

Q2 marks the transition into the summer travel season, but it’s Q3 that really represents the peak of Summer and the annual leisure travel. Passenger volumes increase significantly, but perhaps more importantly, the composition of those passengers changes markedly compared to those spring months. So, what do we expect to see from a traveller profile […]

Next week, we will be launching the new Indian Duty Free Shopper 2026 Study!! The Indian traveller currently sits as one of the most important growth audiences in Travel Retail and offers one of the single most significant opportunities for our industry going forward. The new report will provide a real deep dive look into […]

As we get fully underway with the analysis of the new Global Shopper Database, one of the clearest themes emerging is how purchase planning continues to soften within the Duty Free industry, with just 40% of shoppers now actively planning their purchase before entering the store. And this brings us back to one of the […]

What really differentiates shopper behaviour across the various Duty Free channels?” is a question we’re asked time and time again. At Pi Insight, the only research we conduct is Travel Retail-specific, but this extends far beyond just the airport environment. Each channel attracts a distinct shopper mentality, and understanding those nuances is critical to unlocking […]

Segmentation studies are one of marketing’s most trusted tools, but in Travel Retail, they’re both incredibly valuable but notoriously difficult to action. At their best, segmentation brings clarity to complexity. It helps us move beyond “all travellers” and identify distinct groups with shared needs, whether that’s luxury shoppers, impulse buyers, or deal seekers. It sharpens […]

According to the new findings from our 2026 edition of the Global Shopper Database, once a traveller passes through airport security, they typically have around 1 hour and 10 minutes in departures. This sounds like quite a bit of time, but this time includes getting their bearings in an unfamiliar place, locating their gate, organising […]