Heinemann supercharges cruise retail presence

Heinemann Americas has launched a bold new cruise retail concept onboard Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, delivering first-at-sea exclusives and redefining immersive shopping at sea.

With 10 retail venues onboard, the vessel features exclusive Royal Caribbean logo merchandise, fine watches and fashion jewellery, fragrances and cosmetics, as well as vintage luxury leather goods and timepieces. A standout highlight is a collection of prestige and rare spirits, crafted to surprise and captivate connoisseurs.

The beauty offer onboard Star of the Seas

The new retail offer builds on the success of Icon of the Seas, with a focus on curated exclusivity, elevated design and category innovation across four distinct store formats.

The liquor experience onboard Star of the Seas introduces several first-at-sea features, including personalised backwalls for Macallan, Hennessy and Patrón, a dedicated Johnnie Walker gondola, and a limited-edition Louis XIII monogrammed box hand-decorated exclusively for the ship, with only 30 pieces available globally. Among the rare offerings is a bottle of Loch Lomond 50yo, one of just 100 worldwide, retailing at $34,999. The store also debuts multiple exclusive barrel programmes, such as Angel's Envy – selected by Heinemann’s team as a first-at-sea – and the rare O.F.C Bourbon 1985.

Luxury timepieces are available in branded shop-in-shop formats from Cartier, Hublot, Breitling, TAG Heuer, Longines, Rado and Norquain, a new brand for Heinemann. Swiss Crown complements the offer with a curated selection of pre-owned Rolex watches.

Cartier's shop-in-shop onboard Star of the Seas

Meanwhile, the logo merchandise store presents a new collection designed exclusively for Star of the Seas, featuring fashion-forward apparel, collectibles and a children’s line. The Vineyard Vines x Royal Caribbean co-branded range – introduced on Icon and Utopia – returns with a refreshed capsule, adding a familiar and updated touch to the retail experience.

“With Star of the Seas, we continue our mission to elevate cruise retail through storytelling, exclusivity and unforgettable experiences,” said Nicolas Hoeborn, CEO of Heinemann Americas. “This launch is a testament to our strong partnership with Royal Caribbean and our shared vision for the future of travel retail.”

The Collection store offers second-hand Louis Vuitton merchandise

Together with Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas ranks among the largest cruise ships in the world, measuring 365 metres in length and accommodating up to 5,610 guests and 2,850 crew members. It is the sixth Royal Caribbean vessel to feature Heinemann’s retail offer, following Utopia of the Seas, Icon of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas and Independence of the Seas.

TFWA welcomes top brands to Cannes fair

Tax Free World Association (TFWA) is welcoming leading brands such as Hermès, Giorgio Armani, Coach, Zegna, Bally and Ralph Lauren to the 2025 TFWA World Exhibition & Conference.

This year’s fair takes place from 28 September to 2 October 2025 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.

Familiar names in luggage and leather goods such as Bally, Bric’s, Tumi, Samsonite and Delsey have also confirmed their participation in this year’s edition.

Powerhouses including Lacoste, Longchamp, Paul & Shark and Victorinox will have a bigger presence this year, while making a welcome return will be Furla, Napapijri and Coach, joining regular exhibitors Lancel, Coccinelle and Le Tanneur. A strong presence is also expected from leading eyewear groups including EssilorLuxottica, Safilo, Thélios, Marcolin and De Rigo.

The 2025 edition will also see a significant upswing in the number of brands showing at the Harbour Village with 30 official boats confirmed, up from 19 last year. For the first time, the Harbour Village will be fully integrated within the exhibition.

Top travel retailers including Avolta, Lagardère, Gebr Heinemann, 3Sixty, Dubai Duty Free and Qatar Duty Free have confirmed large delegations, while major international airports, airlines and cruise operators will also be attending.

Delegates will hear from high-calibre speakers during the TFWA Conference on Monday, 29 September. Two workshops, World in Flux: Travel Retail Amid Today’s Geopolitical Realities and Next Horizon: Charting the Future of Travel Retail, will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Innovation on show

The new Innovation Square will host the two workshops in addition to private evening events. TFWA’s ONE2ONE meeting service will provide opportunities for exhibiting brands, key buyers, airports and trade agents to focus on business. The exhibition halls will be open from Monday afternoon through to Thursday.

Registration remains open until the first week of September.

TFWA President Philippe Margueritte said: “It’s gratifying to see that so many of global travel retail’s most prestigious brands are planning to join us once again in Cannes for what is undoubtedly one of the most important events in our calendar. We look forward to welcoming these high-profile established names plus new game-changing tastemaker brands to TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in September."

FT announces 20th Business of Luxury Summit 2024

The Financial Times has announced the return of the prestigious Business of Luxury Summit, scheduled to take place from 19-21 May in Venice, Italy.

Marking its 20th annual gathering, the Business of Luxury Summit returns to Venice, one of Europe’s most iconic and celebrated cities. In a country renowned for its luxury goods heritage, the Summit will explore the changes in the industry over the past two decades and look forward to the next 20 years of innovation. 

The luxury goods sector continues to grow despite significant economic and geopolitical uncertainty. What can the industry do to maintain this positive outlook? How can businesses adapt to accommodate the increasing demands of their consumers? Where will the next big deals come from?

Co-chaired by the FT’s Editor Roula Khalaf and HTSI magazine’s Editor Jo Ellison, the Summit will gather leading executives from the industry across three days of thought-provoking keynotes, lively debates and an exclusive gala dinner.

Speakers include Prada Group CEO Andrea Guerra and Kering Deputy CEO Francesca Bellettini, who is also President & CEO of Yves Saint Laurent.

In addition to its rich programme of sessions and discussions, the Summit will provide ample opportunities for networking and collaboration. Attendees will have the chance to connect with fellow professionals, forge new partnerships and gain valuable insights into emerging trends and best practices in the luxury industry.

MJ Rabbit loves... Saint Laurent Paris

Just when I thought Hedi Slimane’s ads for French fashion house Saint Laurent Paris couldn’t get any better, they have. Take a look at the November issues of the glossy mags.

In my dreams, I’m Dutch model Freja Beha Erichsen, swanning around Paris in my black leather mini-skirt and matching chain-handle bag. 

When I’m not Freja, I’m Chanel’s muse Amanda Harlech, clad in black couture, being chauffeur-driven around the French capital to my favourite stores – Colette, Galeries Lafayette and Saint Laurent, of course.

A few years ago I met Harlech’s daughter Tallulah on a fashion shoot for the uber-luxury magazine, BBeyond. I took a picture of her penny loafers but I can’t find it - aagh! By the way, I'm supporting her Twitter campaign for her mum to take over from Karl at Chanel. Mums rule!

Anyway, here’s Freja/me rocking Saint Laurent’s Fall 13 look: