AFRICA: LAGARDÈRE TRAVEL RETAIL
Lagardère promises ‘extraordinary’ African experience with strong local flavour
Andrew Pentol interviews newly appointed Sountou Bousso, Chief Executive Officer, Lagardère Travel Retail, Senegal and Gabon who is setting high standards as the company looks to maintain its status as preferred airport partner in Western Africa.
Above: A selection of local craft products on display at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Senegal.
D
uring the Coronavirus (Covid-19)
the Lagardère Group has
demonstrated its resilience, ambition and flexibility. In doing so, the Group has
capitalised on the skills and attributes of experienced personnel and local expertise. For newly appointed Sountou
Bousso, Chief Executive Officer of Lagardère Travel Retail’s Senegal (Blaise Diagne International Airport) and Gabon (Libreville Leon Mba International Airport) operations, these attributes will assist both businesses in trying to emerge stronger from the crisis. During his time working for
global catering group Newrest, where he most recently served as
“The experience we offer must be an extraordinary one. Our stores and products in Senegal and Gabon are testament to this.”
Sountou Bousso, Chief Executive Officer, Lagardère Travel Retail, Senegal and Gabon
34 TRBUSINESS pandemic,
General Manager for Cameroon and Senegal, Bousso gained a glimpse of Lagardere’s Senegalese operations which commenced in 2017. The start of the business followed the capture of a 10-year $575 million contract encompassing a duty free shop and Relay store. As a competitor working on the
same commercial deal in the build- up to the opening of the airport, Bousso gained an understanding of the business and its ethics.
Rising consumer demands In Gabon, Lagardère Travel Retail signed a service agreement with GSEZ Airport, a subsidiary of Gabon Special Economic Zone (a private partnership between Olam International, the Gabonese Republic and Africa Finance Corporation) to operate at Libreville Leon Mba Airport in 2019. The retailer has the exclusive right to run over 600sq m of retail and food. “Today, I am really proud to be
part of a company which promotes similar values to mine,” he tells TRBusiness in his first interview with the trade media since assuming the role. “For Lagardère Travel Retail, the travel retail environment – in Africa and everywhere else – forms
part of the overall travel experience. “The experience we offer must be
an extraordinary one. Our stores and products in Senegal and Gabon are testament to this.” Delivering African travellers the
same high level of quality, choice and experience on offer in Singapore, New York and Paris, for example, is a priority. “There are no double standards,” says Bousso. “We deliver a world-class shopping experience to all passengers, which really enticed me to join Lagardère Travel Retail.” Bousso says customers in Africa
are seeking the best possible service and that the African market is becoming increasingly sophisticated in line with rising incomes. Consumer demands are also
high when it comes to the range of products and brands. “Passengers shopping in our African stores [expect] to find everything in one place,” adds Bousso. “This includes perfumes and cosmetics from the world’s largest luxury brands [as well as] a selection of local craft products highlighting the region’s know-hows. This combination is key to our success. It enables our customers, whether African nationals, business travellers or
NOVEMBER 2020
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