Emirates Commits US$47.4m to Expand Travel Retail Footprint, Signals Confidence in Experiential Aviation Retail
Emirates has invested US$47.4 million to expand its global travel retail footprint, underlining a strategic shift by the airline to deepen customer engagement through physical, experience-led retail as it builds on strong post-pandemic travel demand.
The investment, equivalent to AED174 million, has supported the rollout of Emirates World and other travel retail concepts across key global markets, culminating in the opening of the airline’s 10th flagship Emirates World store in Abidjan. The airline is now building on this momentum, with plans to introduce 29 additional travel retail concepts in 2026, taking its total store count to 48 by the end of the year.
The expansion reflects Emirates’ belief that face-to-face engagement remains a powerful complement to digital booking platforms, particularly for premium and long-haul travel. Since 2024, the airline’s travel retail stores have attracted more than 1.4 million walk-in customers, signalling sustained appetite for personalised travel planning supported by expert consultants and immersive product displays.
Emirates World stores are designed to bring the airline’s onboard experience to the ground. They combine personalised service with interactive technologies and physical displays of flagship products, including First Class and Premium Economy seats and recreations of the A380 onboard lounge. The Abidjan store, for instance, features an A380 lounge and a Business Class seat, reinforcing the airline’s premium positioning in West Africa.
Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer of Emirates, has described the retail rollout as an opportunity to allow travellers and partners to engage more deeply with the brand, explore its latest products and plan journeys in an environment built around discovery rather than transactions alone.
From its first Emirates World store launched in Dubai in November 2022, the concept has expanded rapidly to cities such as London, Nairobi, Singapore, Riyadh, Cairo and Bangkok, alongside mid-sized concept stores in markets including Accra, Paris, Hong Kong and Geneva. Each store is customised to local market preferences, informed by footfall patterns, consumer behaviour and travel trends.
In Ghana, the strategy carries particular significance. Emirates has operated daily flights between Accra and Dubai since 2004 and, in May 2025, opened its Emirates World Travel Store in Accra, the first of its kind in West Africa. The investment signalled long-term confidence in Ghana as both a travel market and a regional hub, offering customers an immersive, high-touch retail experience aligned with Emirates’ global standards.
Beyond customer engagement, the investment also reflects a broader commercial play. By strengthening brand presence in high-traffic urban locations, Emirates is positioning travel retail as a strategic channel for loyalty growth, premium upselling and market intelligence, even as online platforms dominate transactional bookings.
With US$47.4 million already committed and a further wave of store openings planned, Emirates’ travel retail strategy stands out as one of the most ambitious in global aviation, blending capital investment, brand experience and service differentiation to support long-term growth.
