Summary:
- Heathrow RELAY launch marks the debut of Lagardère Travel Retail’s Travel Essentials brand in Terminal 2, with four stores opening this year.
- New travel essentials concept blends convenience, food to go and pharmacy services, tailored to evolving passenger needs.
- Heathrow retail innovation strengthened through partnerships with Waitrose and Paydens, delivering a curated, locally inspired offer.
Heathrow – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub and a member of the FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Working Group – has welcomed the debut of Lagardère Travel Retail’s Travel Essentials brand RELAY in Terminal 2.
The opening marks the first of four RELAY stores at the airport, totalling 1,360sqm of retail space. The first store, located on the upper level and covering 420sqm has now opened, with the remaining three stores scheduled to open progressively over the course of the year. The opening was marked with a ceremonial event held onsite, bringing together the Heathrow and Lagardère Travel Retail teams, as well as key partners Waitrose and Paydens Group.
In line with the planned schedule, the opening of the first RELAY store in Terminal 2 brings to life a blended and highly versatile concept combining travel essentials, food-to-go, pharmacy services and curated convenience, designed to meet the needs of today’s Heathrow passengers and to adapt to their broad, constantly evolving expectations.
At the heart of the offer, RELAY brings together strong partnerships with leading UK brands, including Waitrose and Paydens. Waitrose brings quality, convenience and strong brand recognition with a food-to-go offering tailored to passengers at Heathrow, while Paydens enhances the RELAY concept with dedicated pharmacy items, contributing to a comprehensive and coherent range of products and services.
“At Heathrow, we’re continually evolving our retail offer to give passengers greater choice and convenience,” said Fraser Brown, Retail Director, Heathrow. “We’re delighted to welcome the UK’s first RELAY store to Terminal 2, combining travel essentials, quality food-to-go and pharmacy services in one place. Partnerships with Lagardère Travel Retail, alongside trusted British brands such as Waitrose and Paydens, help ensure we’re meeting the needs of today’s travellers as we continue to make every journey better, and build an airport fit for the future.”
This opening at Heathrow reflects Lagardère Travel Retail’s approach to building concepts that are adapted to each airport environment while maintaining a recognisable and consistent customer experience. At Heathrow, this approach translates into a curated offer that reflects the spirit of the destination, including locally inspired gifting and travel souvenirs such as Paddington-themed ranges, reinforcing the connection between the airport, its passengers and Britain’s rich culture.
“The launch of RELAY at Heathrow is a landmark for our company,” said Frédéric Chevalier, Chief Executive Officer, Lagardère Travel Retail. “For decades Heathrow has been at the forefront of innovation in travel retail, and we are honoured to have the opportunity to contribute to the airport’s future commercial development. The opening of RELAY in T2 reflects our ability to combine global expertise with strong local partnerships to create retail concepts that resonate with travellers. Opening here is a vital strategic development for our UK business, and we are grateful to Heathrow for their trust and spirit of partnership.”
Peter Newbould, CEO, Lagardère Travel Retail UK & Ireland, commented: “We are extremely proud to officially open our first RELAY store at Heathrow Terminal 2. This is not only a milestone for Lagardère Travel Retail in the UK, but also a clear demonstration of what we believe makes our company strong: the ability to deliver on our promises through agility, expertise and strong partnerships. We are very grateful for the trust placed in us by Heathrow and our brand partners, and we are fully focused on setting new standards for convenience retailing in the UK.”
Hear more from Heathrow at the co-located APEX FTE EMEA and APEX FTE Ancillary & Retailing events, taking place in Dublin on 9-11 June 2026. Ian Upton, Head of Category for Operations, Logistics, Contracts and Sustainability, Heathrow, is participating in a session focused on ‘Commercial collaboration: embracing innovation and collaboration to create new revenue streams for airlines, airports and their partners’. Meanwhile, Jamie Ratcliffe, Senior Baggage Product Development Manager, Heathrow, is speaking in a session titled ‘How can airports and airlines successfully scale baggage handling innovations to make a real difference across the industry? Is the time now?’
Register for the co-located APEX FTE EMEA and APEX FTE Ancillary & Retailing events – free for airlines, low-cost for airports >>You may also be interested in
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