Appleton Estate unveils stylish new boutique
Published:Friday | March 10, 2023 | 1:11 AMJanet Silvera/Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Dressed in azure blue, no fashion store compares to the stylish Appleton Estate boutique which was recently unveiled by the Campari Group at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.
An historic collaboration with Dufry, the first world, first-class Jamaican rum boutique, which unmistakably hits you in the face immediately after entering in the recently expanded departure concourse is the largest investment in Global Retail Travel (GTR) for the owners of J. Wray and Nephew Limited, makers of Appleton Estate rum.
Equipped with a full range of products blended by the world’s first female master blender, Dr Joy Spence, the boutique boasts a number of connected touch points, which opens the doors for customers to experience the full range of products that sets Appleton apart from other rum-makers.
Each of these expressions have a unique story, and the display starting with the Signature blend to the 21-year-old tells the stories. Each touch point has a QR Code, which when scanned, utilises image recognition technology, and acknowledges the age of the rum, the mastery of Joy Spence and the unique properties.
Campari tags the opening of the boutique a milestone for the GTR, and signals the strong belief in the rum category, which they say has the potential to premiumise and play a key role in global retail sales. Appleton Estate received high praises for its ability to produce the kind of rum that would cause travellers to miss their flights as they spend quality time becoming familiar with the product in the airport.
Although the chain has other portfolios, Campari admits that the Jamaican estate founded in 1749 is their pinnacle.
“We are sending a message of a sense of place, that’s why we are opening this boutique in Jamaica, 50 kilometres away from where Appleton Estate is located,” said Marco Cavagnera, global strategic travel retail managing director, Campari Group.
“This is not just a unique experience being conveyed to consumers, but a very authentic experience, our real ability is to deliver experiences to all our consumers in an Omni channel way in all the geographies we operate.”
Some 4.5 million passengers pass through the Sangster International Airport annually, and the first store they will see after going through security is the boutique. In a sense the group is moving from shopper to traveller with this bold move.
The Jamaica Tourist Board has welcomed the move, with the organisation’s regional director, Odette Dyer, noting she was not surprised that Campari had seen the wisdom in increasing their support for tourism with the establishment of the boutique in the airport.
“As you are aware, this airport is a key travel hub in the Caribbean, and a core destination for the millions of travellers vacationing in Jamaica, and the thousands more for whom it is a transit port,” she told the gathering which included industry stakeholders, government representatives and officials from the airport.
Dyer commended the strategic move to create an immersive experience for visitors that introduces the Appleton Estate’s complete portfolio.
“The multisensory touch points, which is aimed at educating consumers on the wide range of products, fits perfectly into Jamaica’s new Blue Ocean Strategy for tourism moving forward,” she added.
A Blue Ocean Strategy calls for the creation of business models that depart from traditional models based on competition and standardisation. Jamaica’s Blue Ocean Strategy pursues enhanced value-creation through product differentiation and diversification which will allow Destination Jamaica to develop new markets and create new demand in a unique and uncontested space.
The Blue Ocean Strategy also recognises that the extent of the contribution of tourism to Jamaica’s social and economic development is directly linked to the structure of the tourism value chain, the local share of that value chain, and the elements of that value chain that are produced by Jamaican businesses.