As part of our retail tours, the Lemens & Partners team recently visited several airport retail spaces. What we observed is well worth sharing.
Airports are places like no other. Millions of people pass through them every year, every nationality, every generation, every social background. Some wander unhurriedly for an hour; others rush through the terminal towards their gate. In this environment, brands have only a few seconds, sometimes a few minutes, to make their presence felt.
What struck us on our most recent visit is that the smartest brands are not simply trying to sell. They are trying to leave a mark.
Marc Jacobs x Murakami: catching every eye
The collaboration between Marc Jacobs and artist Takashi Murakami floods the space with colourful, smiling flowers. You do not need to know the brand to stop in your tracks. The art direction does all the work, instantly. This is one of the most valuable functions of design in retail: creating a universal hook that reaches well beyond the usual target audience.
Hermès: turning a moment into a memory
On its stand, Hermès offered an unexpected experience visitors could draw onto a card using a pencil “gun”, producing a tattoo-like effect on paper. No purchase required. Just a moment, a gesture, and an object to take away or leave behind. You walk off with something physical and an emotion attached to it. That, in itself, is a masterclass in retail.
Nuxe: a four-step beauty routine, in an entirely pink world
Nuxe transformed its space into a full-on pink studio, giant teddy bear, boxing gloves, lockers, and a clear message on display: “Create your Nuxe workout routine.” Four steps, four products, one promise. The universe is immediately recognisable, the approach both playful and educational. Within thirty seconds, you understand exactly who the brand is and what it stands for. That is precisely the strength of well-conceived retail: qualifying its audience as quickly as it attracts them.
Le Marché Parisien (The Parisian Market): selling a cliché, selling a memory
A customised yellow Citroën 2CV, lavender, vivid colours, French products front and centre. For a traveller in transit through Paris, this stand distils, in just a few square metres, everything they imagine France to be. It is not simply selling a product, it is selling a taste-memory, a story to bring home. In an international airport, this kind of deeply identity-driven storytelling is remarkably effective. Whether it is a biscuit or a French chocolate, it offers the last opportunity for a visitor to bring a piece of their journey back to the people they love or simply to themselves.
These four examples, very different in their approach, share the same conviction: in a transit space, experience takes precedence over transaction. Whether through an artistic installation, a creative workshop, an immersive universe, or cultural storytelling, the brands that stand out are those that have designed their space as something to be lived not merely a shelf to be filled.
At Lemens & Partners, we support you in two ways.
Our bespoke retail tours allow you to explore the finest brand experiences from around the world to fuel your strategic thinking, inspire your teams, and identify trends before they become mainstream.
Our creative recruitment missions help you find the talent capable of conceiving and embodying those experiences within your organisation.
Two approaches, one shared conviction: the brands that make a difference are those that invest in creativity and in the right people.
Retail tour, recruitment, or simply a conversation? Get in touch: contact@lemensandpartners.com