Remember when sustainability was the topic in travel retail? You couldn’t walk through a trade show without hearing about eco-packaging, net zero targets, circular solutions and carbon offsets. Every brand had a pledge. Every retailer had a roadmap. Every airport had a promise.
It was loud. It was urgent. It felt like momentum. But today? Where has that gone? Sustainability in travel retail has gone from being a front-page promise to fine print footnote.
There is no doubt that the conversation is still there. Sustainability features as a talking point at all the industry’s major events, and there are even dedicated events looking at the topic. Indeed, a handful of brands are still pushing boundaries and doing the work.
But to me, it feels like the energy has gone.
The bold experiments have slowed. And the sense of real innovation – the kind which requires investment and legwork – has fallen by the wayside as priorities shift. There are many other concerns and challenges in the world today, and it is easy to see how companies can feel pulled in too many directions. On top of that, the new US government has openly talked about its plans to scale back the country’s climate efforts.
Sustainability in travel retail has gone from being a front-page promise to fine print footnote.
All of this makes pushing forward on true sustainability innovation more difficult – and it shows.
How many new product launches are still wrapped in layers of unnecessary packaging? How many stores still chase volume with no thought for impact? How many companies are still leaning on terms like “recyclable” or “made with partly recycled plastic” as if it’s 2020?
Sustainability hasn’t vanished. It’s just been downgraded from strategy to slogan – and that is a problem.
Because travel retail must take the lead here. Our industry is in a global spotlight, and issues around sustainability are unavoidable. We operate in one of the most climate-exposed environments in the world – airports. And we serves the most global, conscious, demanding consumer there is: the traveller.
Sustainability hasn’t vanished. It’s just been downgraded from strategy to slogan – and that is a problem.
Sustainability should be our differentiator. This is an industry where companies can take a lead on a global stage. Some have, but for too many this has become an afterthought.
The money and the capacity are there: We’ll spend millions on media walls, pop-ups, and digital perfume spritzers, but offer nothing new when asked about circularity.
What happened? Have we decided that the ROI isn’t there? Do we think the shopper doesn’t care enough? I’m sure there are some out there who hoped that sustainability was a trend that would fade.
If so, we’ve missed the point. Sustainability was never supposed to be a campaign. It was supposed to be a shift. A shift in how we source, sell, design, distribute and display. It was supposed to be a change in our values, not just our visuals.
Sustainability was never supposed to be a campaign. It was supposed to be a shift. A shift in how we source, sell, design, distribute and display.
And make no mistake – our customers notice. They are more informed and connected than ever. They see the greenwashing, and they will not buy the message if they don’t see the action.
So maybe it’s time we asked the uncomfortable question: Has travel retail really gone quiet on sustainability—or are we just pretending not to hear?
This is something which must be a key pillar of our industry’s future. It must be something we invest in and lead on. It can what sets our market apart. But we can’t keep whispering about change and expecting to be heard.