something unique and relevant to today’s discerning travellers,” Helly Ding, VP and head of travel retail at Victoria’s Secret, told Inside Retail. Situated in  Changi Airport’s Terminal 1, the new store showcases a wide selection of beauty and intimate apparel offerings, complemented by the curated Victoria’s Secret’s 2024 Fashion Show Collection. “Changi Airport is one of the busiest and most prestigious airports in the world, attracting millions of travellers each year,” Ding said. “Its reputation for high-end retail and strategic location at the heart of Asia Pacific made it the perfect choice for our first travel retail store offering beauty and intimates.” She added that the traveller profile at Changi Airport is diverse and offers great exposure for the Victoria’s Secret brand, reaching passengers from across the globe. The new store boasts a sleek design concept, with a custom floor plan built upon the space’s unique characteristics. A semi-circular lease line provided a unique opportunity for the brand to design a storefront facade that draws customers to the store from a distance. “The store is reflective of Victoria’s Secret’s modern brand aesthetics while delivering a more streamlined design for intuitive navigation and a seamless shopping experience,” Ding said. The store features an extensive product range of Victoria’s Secret’s signature fragrances, mists, and body lotions. “This store opening is a key milestone in our broader global travel retail strategy, which aims to bring the brand closer to travellers around the world,” she added. Capitalising on travel retail’s boom Victoria’s Secret’s expansion strategy comes at an opportune time, as industry forecasts point to significant growth in the travel retail sector, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. S&P Global Ratings predict the travel retail industry to grow between seven and 10 per cent in 2024-2025. Asia Pacific is expected to lead the growth in the next two years and Victoria’s Secret is already eyeing opportunities to expand its travel retail concept to other major transit hubs across the region. “The travel retail space is evolving rapidly, driven by ever-changing consumer expectations and technological advancements,” Ding said. “Consumers are travelling with new intentions and values. They are seeking brands, goods and experiences that resonate with them on a deeper level,” she added. To meet these evolving consumer expectations, Victoria’s Secret has adapted its retail strategy to create a seamless blend of digital and physical experiences. This approach is particularly important in the travel retail sector, where convenience and emotional connection must work hand in hand. Ding said that the brand’s fragrance and intimate apparel offerings have the ability to connect with consumers on a deeply emotional level. And with a new generation of digital natives, the brand experience no longer begins at the store. “What we have learned so far is that consumers and travellers are loving an apparel assortment in travel retail too and the powerful emotional connection we have established with our global consumers is evident in our success,” she concluded. Further reading: Why the return of Victoria’s Secret’s fashion show is a double-edged sword.