Travel retail presents a unique design challenge. Unlike traditional high street environments, airport retail spaces operate under strict spatial, logistical and security constraints. Installations must withstand heavy footfall, meet electrical compliance requirements and deliver brand impact in highly competitive environments.
Over the past 15 years, Step2 Design has delivered more than 150 travel retail projects worldwide, working with leading drinks brands to develop display concepts, boutique pop ups and continent wide rollouts.
The scale and complexity of these projects provide a detailed look at what modern retail design demands when brands expand across global airport locations.
A Multi Year Courvoisier Rollout Across 50+ Sites
One of the most ambitious projects involved an international rollout for Courvoisier following a major brand redesign.
Working alongside The Fletcher Project, Step2 Design delivered over 50 individual display units alongside four large scale shop in shop pop ups across multiple airport locations. The rollout began with a structured concept pack defining the overall look and feel of the furniture suite, including a white oak lattice frame, maple veneer, bead blasted champagne gold detailing and red velvet fabric.
While many of the installations followed a consistent wall bay and gondola format adapted to individual airport footprints, several bespoke pieces required additional design development. These included custom display trunks, gift wrapping stations and flagship boutique environments.
A key operational challenge was coordinating tight deadlines across multiple international sites. A detailed control document was created to track every unit’s progress and ensure visibility for all stakeholders. In large scale travel retail, coordination is as critical as creativity.
Bowmore: Premiumisation And Rebranding Across 20+ Global Sites
Running alongside the Courvoisier rollout, Step2 Design was also tasked with delivering a suite of retail furniture for Bowmore whisky.
The project began with the development of a gondola unit informed by brand material swatches and rendered visuals. From there, a broader furniture suite was created, including angular wall bays, freestanding plinths and modular gondola lengths designed to suit a variety of international airport layouts.
In 2023, the project evolved into a full rebrand. The legacy furniture suite was overhauled with black oak slats and copper accents to create a more premium and contemporary aesthetic. The updated design also integrated advanced electrical and AV requirements, including diffused LED tape, lightboxes, circular display screens and interactive touchscreens.
The redesigned suite was then rolled out to more than 20 global sites. Each location required a tailored selection of furniture elements alongside bespoke adaptations to suit site specific dimensions, regulations and customer flow.
This level of flexibility is essential in travel retail. No two airport environments are identical, yet brand consistency must be maintained across continents.
House Of Suntory: Craftsmanship Meets Technical Precision
For House of Suntory, Step2 Design developed a refined furniture suite inspired by traditional Japanese craftsmanship and natural landscapes.
The aesthetic combined light oak veneered lattice frames with white marble stone inlays and satin gold highlights, creating a calm yet premium presence within busy international terminals. The flagship Frankfurt installation featured a bespoke shelving unit designed to wrap around an existing structural column, demonstrating the importance of adapting creative concepts to fixed architectural constraints.
Integrated within the furniture were circular LED display screens, illuminated glorifiers and fabric graphic lightboxes. Crucially, alongside the visual design, a detailed electrical plan was supplied to ensure safe and seamless installation on site.
In airport retail, the technical documentation behind the scenes is as important as the visible design. Compliance, power positioning and installation planning all play a critical role in delivering projects smoothly across global locations.
The Operational Reality Of Travel Retail Design
What unites these projects is not simply aesthetic ambition but operational discipline.
Delivering furniture suites across dozens of airports requires:
• Accurate 3D CAD modelling for precise fabrication
• Detailed technical drawings for manufacture and installation
• Coordination across brand teams, fabricators and site contractors
• Adaptability to local regulations and site constraints
• Clear documentation to manage timelines and approvals
Travel retail environments leave little room for error. Installation windows are often limited. Security restrictions can impact delivery schedules. Freight logistics must be carefully managed.
By combining design creativity with rigorous technical detailing, Step2 Design has positioned itself as a partner capable of handling both the visual and structural demands of global rollouts in travel retail design.
The Role Of Digital Visualisation In Complex Rollouts
Before any unit reaches production, extensive digital development takes place. Advanced modelling allows teams to review proportions, material finishes and lighting integration before manufacture begins.
In increasingly competitive retail spaces, brands are also leveraging 3D video animation services to preview how installations will appear in situ. These animated walkthroughs and simulated environments allow stakeholders to assess sight lines, shopper engagement and feature highlights before committing to fabrication.
This approach reduces uncertainty and improves decision making, particularly when projects involve multiple stakeholders across different countries.
Designing For Impact In High Traffic Environments
Airport retail is unlike any other setting. Customers are often time conscious, distracted and navigating unfamiliar environments. Displays must capture attention instantly while reinforcing brand heritage and premium positioning.
From lattice framed boutiques to angular whisky gondolas and illuminated experiential zones, the projects delivered by Step2 Design demonstrate how strong design can transform duty free spaces into immersive brand experiences.
The consistent thread across more than 150 airport installations is balance. Creative expression must align with structural integrity. Visual storytelling must coexist with logistical precision. Premium finishes must withstand heavy international footfall.
A Specialist Approach To Global Retail Design
As a Bristol based retail design agency with international reach, Step2 Design has built a reputation within the travel retail sector by combining specialist 3D CAD expertise, fixture development and large scale rollout management.
These recent projects highlight what modern travel retail demands: consistency across continents, adaptability to site specific constraints and a deep understanding of both creative and technical disciplines.
For global drinks brands operating in highly competitive airport environments, that combination is not optional. It is essential.