Heathrow Airport in seasonal drive to capture Chinese consumer spend

UK. London Heathrow Airport has embarked on a major drive with its retail partners to encourage spending among Chinese travellers during the Chinese New Year period. Chinese New Year shopping exclusives, special food menus and festive activities are available to travellers from 29 January to 22 February.

Some 20,000 Chinese travellers are expected to pass through Heathrow during Chinese New Year 2015, with 1 million expected during the full year.

Among the ranges developed for the season are a number of travel exclusives from Heathrow retail partners. These include a Mulberry Lily bag, the new python and calfskin Boy Chanel bag and the latest Bally Sommet Fold bag.

Further exclusives over Chinese New Year include items from Gucci and Rolex as well as beauty travel exclusives from Crème de la Mer, Estée Lauder, Shiseido and YSL.

In addition, Chinese-speaking Personal Shoppers will be on hand to assist travellers and instruct them on recent trends, said Heathrow Airport. Appointments can be pre-booked through the airport’s WeChat Personal Shopping account.

The food & beverage offer is also geared towards Chinese travellers this month. Gordon Ramsay's Plane Food restaurant is carrying a special Chinese New Year menu including crispy duck served with watercress, ginger and chilli, as well as a green tea cocktail. Other restaurants across Heathrow such as Wagamama, Yo! Sushi and The Gorgeous Kitchen will provide their own specially designed Chinese New Year dishes. Also, children eat for free at a range of restaurants at Heathrow from 12-22 February.

Other Chinese New Year activities include: *Calligraphy pop-ups - Travellers will be able to get their names written in traditional Chinese calligraphy *Jianzhi – A display session for travellers to discover the traditional Chinese art form of paper cutting *Horoscope predictions – Travellers will be able to find out their Chinese horoscopes and get predictions on the year ahead.

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “We understand that Chinese New Year is a very important time for Chinese all around the world. With our superlative customer shopping experiences, specially prepared Chinese New Year dining options and numerous other festive activities, we hope to make it extra special for our Chinese passengers coming through the airport this year.”