Walker’s Shortbread is taking up residence at London Gatwick this month with a Lunar New Year-themed activation which celebrates the start of the Year of the Dragon.
The family-run business, in partnership with leading global travel experience player Avolta, will have an experiential retail space inside the World Duty Free store in London Gatwick’s North Terminal. Travellers will have the chance to purchase Walker’s iconic Shortbread Fingers and wider Global Travel Range (GTR) from 1st February until the end of the month.
The impactful, themed space – which encourages passengers to celebrate Lunar New Year traditions and ‘share the joy of shortbread’ – is part of an ongoing effort by the company to invest in GTR and brand-led experiences which embrace Walker’s heritage whilst appealing to global markets.
It launches at a time when passenger numbers are expected to hit 740,000 and comes after Walker’s successful festive pop-up at Heathrow Airport – also in conjunction with World Duty Free (Avolta) – in December, when passenger numbers exceeded 6.6 million.
Passengers will be able to browse the Walker’s range and receive complimentary shortbread samples and postcards, which bring to life Walker’s heritage and provenance. Those who spend over £18 will receive a gift packet of red envelopes emblazoned with a golden dragon design – a Lunar New Year tradition which involves gifting money in a red envelope, symbolising good wishes and luck for the new year ahead.
The site will also house a replica of the business’ founder Joseph Walker’s original delivery van, dating from over 100 years ago, will also be situated at the experiential site to drive excitement among customers.
Based in the Scottish Highlands, Walker’s was founded in 1898 and has expanded over the years with growing demand for the heritage brand, particularly within GTR, with products now sold in over 30 markets globally.
Bryony Walker, Head of Commercial Strategy at Walker’s Shortbread, said: “Lunar New Year is about celebrating new beginnings and bringing loved ones together, so there’s a real synergy with shortbread which is shared with family and friends the world over, particularly during times of celebration.
“Walker’s is a Scottish brand, but we have a truly global reach with customers from across the world. It’s important to us that we share in special moments which mean something to our customers, honouring our own heritage while respecting and celebrating the customs and traditions of the different markets in which we’re sold.
“With this exciting retail activation site at London Gatwick, we’re maintaining the fantastic momentum Walker’s is seeing in GTR and we’re delighted to be continuing our partnership with Avolta, meaning more travellers can take Walker’s with them as they share in traditions all over the world.”
Eve Fifer, Commercial Director for Avolta, who operate the World Duty Free stores in UK added: “Once again, Walkers have developled an engaging experience to excite and inspire our customers. We are delighted to support heritage brands like Walker’s with campaigns such as this, as they help us deliver that a sense of place and connect our customers with the spirit of Scotland and all things British.”
Walker’s Shortbread Ltd which was established 125 years ago in Aberlour, Speyside, is still an independent family concern to this day, and has earned a global reputation for quality and excellence making it one of Scotland’s most recognisable brands.
