Heathrow – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub and a Partner of the FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Working Group – has announced the outcome of its strategic review of travel essentials, awarding landmark new agreements to Lagardère Travel Retail and WHSmith to deliver an improved and modernised shopping experience for passengers across its terminals.
Following feedback from thousands of passengers on how retail can support time-pressed travellers, Heathrow will implement a blended essentials strategy to offer key product categories including news, books, health and beauty under one roof in every terminal.
As part of this strategy, Heathrow has awarded a travel essentials contract to Lagardère Travel Retail to operate the Blended Travel Essentials concession in Terminal 2 from early summer 2026. This marks the debut of Lagardère’s flagship RELAY brand in the UK, a recognisable travel essentials provider with an existing presence in more than 300 airports worldwide.
WHSmith will operate travel essentials stores across Terminals 3 and 4 and will extend its presence in Terminal 5. In addition, WHSmith will become the main airside health and beauty provider in Terminals 3 and 4 and will provide a pharmacy offer across Terminals 3, 4 and 5. Once complete, WHSmith will operate more than 20 stores across Heathrow’s terminals.
“Our passengers are at the heart of everything we do, and we are excited to launch our new blended essentials approach for travel essentials as part of our transformational retail strategy,” said Fraser Brown, Retail Director, Heathrow Airport. “For nearly 80 years Heathrow and WHSmith have held a successful partnership, bringing new and innovative retail experiences for passengers. We also look forward to welcoming RELAY to both Terminal 2 and the UK to broaden our category offer as we work towards becoming an extraordinary airport, fit for the future.”
The Lagardère Travel Retail agreement covers four RELAY stores in Terminal 2 with a total retail space of 1,360sqm. The upper-level departures store will feature a pharmacy alongside RELAY’s diverse mix of travel essentials. The lower-level store will offer books, souvenirs, toys, and food and drink to go. A further satellite store will include Lagardère Travel Retail’s Discover souvenir concept, while a new RELAY store will also open in the landside check-in hall.
“Heathrow is among the very best airports in the world for its commercial mix and customer service, and we are absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to bring RELAY to The Queen’s Terminal,” said Peter Newbould, CEO, Lagardère Travel Retail UK & Ireland. “Our aim is to meet and even exceed the high standards Heathrow has set, with a dynamic concept attuned to passengers’ needs. I am grateful to my team for their hard work on this project and to Heathrow for their trust.”
The new long-term agreement with WHSmith will see the iconic British brand launch three global flagship travel retail stores in its market-leading one-stop-shop format across Terminals 3, 4 and 5. Each store will offer a wide range of high-quality products, including WHSmith’s award-winning Smith’s Family Kitchen food range, an extensive coffee and bakery offer, and a complete range of health and beauty products from major brands, tailored specifically for passenger needs.
“This agreement is the latest step in the successful long-term partnership between two major British businesses at the forefront of travel retail, Heathrow and WHSmith,” said Andrew Harrison, CEO, WHSmith UK Travel. “Our innovative one-stop-shop format is a proven model, and we are delighted to be taking a significant step forward in our Health & Beauty and pharmacy proposition across Heathrow. We look forward to welcoming many more passengers on their journeys through Heathrow in the years to come.”
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