Beyond Duty-Free: How Airport Retail is Evolving in Africa and Tunisia
In modern airports, duty-free is no longer just a space for last-minute purchases before departure. Retail is now seamlessly integrated into the entire passenger journey, spanning dining, services, destination discovery, and digital tools. In Africa, this evolution opens up new perspectives, though it remains closely tied to the specific realities of each market. In Tunisia, the challenge lies in combining efficiency, local identity, and new technologies.
“Airport retail has become a core part of the travel experience,” explains Isaías Díaz García, General Manager Africa at Avolta. According to him, passenger expectations have broadened: some seek speed and convenience above all, while others want to discover products linked to their destination or take home a meaningful souvenir. The store has thus become a component of the travel experience, on par with other services offered within the airport.
This shift is pushing operators to rethink how they design commercial spaces. The goal is no longer simply to multiply product references, but to make the journey simpler and more relevant. Store layout, product visibility, the presence of international brands, and local products: several elements must now work together harmoniously.
Digitalization to Reduce Friction
Digitalization is one of the main drivers of this transformation. For Isaias, data is primarily used to better understand traveler behavior and adapt the offer to different moments in the journey. Globally, Avolta reports exposure to approximately 2.5 billion passengers, giving it access to significant volumes of information regarding traveler expectations.
However, the goal is not to replace humans with technology. On the contrary, Isaias believes that digital tools should complement in-store service. Personalized recommendations, targeted promotions, loyalty programs like Club Avolta, and purchase reservation and collection services can help travelers save time, while staff retain a central role in advice and hospitality.
This logic is also taking shape in Tunisia. In the airports where Avolta operates, pre-order tools, Reserve & Collect, digital signage, and targeted offers are presented as ways to simplify the passenger journey. In the long term, more granular use of data could allow for better differentiation of passenger profiles and adaptation of the experience to their specific needs. “The objective is simple: use technology to eliminate friction and make every step more intuitive,” highlights Lotfi Nsib, General Manager of Avolta Tunisie SA.
Africa: A Market with Multiple Realities
At the African level, there is no single model. While the growth in air traffic creates opportunities for airports and travel retail players, conditions vary significantly from one country to another. Infrastructure, connectivity, and access to customer data can present different constraints depending on the market. For Isaias, the solution lies in adapting to the characteristics of each airport and its clientele. He cites the possibility of combining international standards with local brands, products, food offers, design elements, and cultural references.
This local dimension is particularly important in Tunisia. The increase and diversification of traveler flows are giving rise to different expectations. Some prioritize speed, while others look for Tunisian products or items associated with their stay. In the 15 stores operated across five Tunisian airports, the approach focuses on balancing international brands with Tunisian products, as well as providing more visible presentation of local identity.
The human factor remains equally decisive. Team training, product knowledge, and the quality of advice are presented as essential elements of the experience. For Nsib, Tunisian hospitality must also be reflected in the airport environment: a purchase can become a positive part of the trip when accompanied by attentive and personalized service.
Sustainability Through Concrete Measures
Another transformation in the sector is that sustainability is beginning to translate into operational actions. For Isaias, the most relevant initiatives are those that produce a concrete impact on operations and local communities: reducing waste and energy consumption, responsible sourcing, using local suppliers, as well as training and developing team skills.
In Tunisia, several avenues can be implemented at the commercial space level: reducing single-use materials, improving energy efficiency and resource utilization, and increasing the visibility of products from local supply chains when sourcing conditions allow. Informing travelers is also a lever: sustainable choices must be understandable and easily identifiable.
The next step relies less on a single technology or isolated initiative than on the ability of various stakeholders to work together. Airports, retailers, brands, and local suppliers must coordinate their efforts to build solutions that are both relevant to the market and compatible with environmental goals.
For Africa, the potential is real, but its development will not necessarily involve replicating the model of major international hubs. The challenge will be to build experiences tailored to the passengers of each market, combining international standards, local identity, digital tools, and more responsible practices. Tunisia provides a concrete ground for observing this transformation: its airports are gradually becoming spaces where retail seeks not only to sell, but to contribute more significantly to the overall travel experience.
