Company: Unifree, Istanbul, Turkey
Nomination Submitted by: Unifree Duty Free Management Inc.
Company Description: Unifree have been operating duty-free shops since 1984. At Istanbul Grand Airport (IGA), Unifree aims to offer the world's best airport shopping experience in retail since 2019. With its innovative store concepts, Unifree provides customers with an unprecedented shopping experience that includes the most prestigious, luxury, fashion, and beauty brands.
Nomination Category: Sales Awards Achievement Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Sales Growth Achievement of the Year
 Nomination Title: Unifree - Sales Growth Achievement
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the nominated achievement since July 1, 2020, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below.
- Briefly describe the nominated organization or individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 200 words used.
Unifree were founded in 1975 and have been operating duty-free shops since 1984. At Istanbul Grand Airport (IGA), Unifree aims to offer the world's best airport shopping experience in retail since 2019. With its innovative store concepts, Unifree provides customers with an unprecedented shopping experience that includes the most prestigious, luxury, fashion, and beauty brands. Istanbul Grand Airport (IGA) started to host many international guests from the moment it opened. In order to achieve seamless customer satisfaction, an airport that is a candidate to become the world's best airport, it was necessary to carefully design store designs, business processes and sales teams. Short time after starting to operate in IGA, the pandemic affected the whole world and passenger traffic.
In this challenging period our sales leaders & team have critical tasks;
- Attract, hire, onboard and develop a sales organization aligned with growth and customer experience strategies.
- Manage daily operations and supply chain with efficiency. Solve the problems in the supply of products coming from abroad.
- Track health status of employees (and also motivate them).
- Make architectural improvements to support growth strategies.
During this challenging period, Unifree managed to create a sales organization and processes that broke the company's growth records.
- Outline the nominated achievement since July 1 2020 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
Unifree started from July 2020 to October 2022 as a post-pandemic "Recovery" and reached record turnovers and growth in the history of IGA. Sector's sales recovery rate is 79% in 2022. With all improvements Unifree's sales recovery rate reached 122%. Revenue increased 290%. Spend per passenger increased to 190% (Supporting documents addressed in section6)
Incentives were also strong drivers of trade and increased sales motivation of staff. Most effective incentive was at check out where 2,1% of total DF sales delivered with our cashiers’ great sales effort at the last minute of shopping trip of our customers. On average, 5% of that sales revenue was distributed to cashiers as a reward for their success. To support growth targets & strategies sales teams and processes developed and with the architectural improvements that made to use shopping areas correctly and to direct customers, customer traffic and niche brand sales increased.
- Check out areas in the main stores removed and the area updated periodically with products& promotions. After improvements, a lot of revenue generated from brands at the promotion areas.
- Walkthrough areas added (shopping area extended 367sqm) in the Arrival. This area accounts for a minimum of 5% of all store sales.
- Considering operational needs, main Fashion & Accessory area revised as SPO sales area.
- Main1 store layout revised considering passenger flow.
- Marketplace areas in front of main stores operated by subcontractors were underperforming. These areas were converted into Core Duty Free and over 3 Million Euro in sales in last year.
- Explain why the achievement you have highlighted is unique or significant. If possible compare the achievement to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 246 words used.
Sales leaders are using data analytics, trends and stock data to determine sales strategies and operational needs. By this way, peak trade management process was very well managed during high seasons. Stores got prepared for peak trade at all operational streams:
- All operations leadership team committed not to make customers wait at checkout more than 5 minutes and necessary precautions were taken such as extra tills added to 3 stores in need before the season.
- Automatic ordering and replenishment schedules completely renewed; workload is planned evenly throughout the day.
- Arrival trade is supported with extra initiatives to achieve full limit sales. Besides, to improve visibility and customer reach, kiosks were re-opened.
- Techshop is reopened to address customer needs on specific electronics niches such as gaming, headphone, headsets and accessories.
Unique promotions (Buy 4 Pay 3 campaign in perfume and cosmetics, arrival only prices etc.) and prices for arrival and departure passengers developed. (Premium products & brands given to demonstrate unique achievements as attached document.)
Sales team hired / developed / promoted to support corporate growth strategies:
- 65% of cashiers promoted to specialist role (175 promoted out of 266 cashiers)
- 47 new BCs selected as per brand demands and 35 recruitments for other roles
- 42% of specialists are new internal recruitment
- 491 newcomers in total 1.476 headcount
- 80% of cashiers at big stores and 92% of cashier & sales at piers are newcomers
- To support newcomers and new recruitments Uni-Friend onboarding program and Sales Specialist Development Program developed.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 168 words used.
Supporting Materials for question 4:
- Article about successful launch of Penhaligon's brand in The Moodie Davitt Report
- Architectural Improvement Changes: Provides visuals for Architectural improvements that support customer satisfaction and growth targets.
- Sales & Growth Figures: Includes sales figures and comparison with 2019
Supporting Materials for question 5:
- Photos of our sales team.
- Premium Products & Brands: Includes examples high priced sales and exclusively exhibited products.
- Article about selling The Yamazaki 55 Years Old Whisky in The Moodie Davitt Report
- New Recruitment Onboarding - First Day in the Field: Provides photos and videos about sales employees’ field onboarding.
- Sales Specialist Development Program: Provides details about sales trainings.
- New Bonus Scheme & Automation of the Process: Provides details about new bonus scheme process for sale employees.
- Awards and Appreciation: Includes internal awards and appreciation processes and announcement visuals.
- Training and Onboarding Processes: Includes, learning and development programs by title, foreign language trainings, UniFriend that supports onboarding process.
- Communication and Awareness Activities: Includes visuals of awareness weeks for sales employees.
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