Staff–shopper engagement is making a strong comeback in global travel retail. In the first six months of this year, m1nd-set figures show 56% of shoppers interacted with a member of staff – up from 47% in 2023. And these conversations matter: three-quarters of those who engaged said staff influenced their purchase decisions.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, staff engagement has recovered steadily. After falling from the 63% level recorded pre-Covid to 47% in 2023, interaction levels in 2024 rose to 49%, to 53% in 2025 and to 56% in H1 2026.
While the frequency of interactions has fluctuated, their influence has remained consistently strong. After climbing from 49% pre-Covid to 77% immediately afterwards, the influence of staff–shopper interactions settled in the low-to-mid 70s, before reaching 75% this year.
The regional picture is relatively even, with interaction rates ranging from 52% to 58%. The Americas record the highest staff influence at 78%, while Europe sits slightly below average at 73%. Africa & the Middle East tells a different story, combining above-average levels of engagement with below-average influence.
Less contact, greater impact among global alcohol shoppers
Travellers looking to buy alcohol may be less likely to seek staff assistance in GTR, but when they do, it counts.
In the first half of this year, just 40% of global alcohol shoppers interacted with staff – well below the 56% duty-free average, according to m1nd-set.. Yet 78% of those shoppers reported that the interaction influenced their purchase, 3% higher than the overall duty-free figure.
Globally, interaction between alcohol shoppers and GTR staff has hovered around 40% over the past two years, following a gradual decline since 2023. The real movement has been in effectiveness, with staff influence rebounding strongly in 2026 after several years in the low 70s.
Regional differences are more pronounced among the channel’s alcohol shoppers, according to m1nd-set. Interaction is highest in the Americas (44%) and lowest in Africa & the Middle East (35%), while staff influence is strongest in Africa & the Middle East (81%) and Europe (79%).
Europe – Consistent chat, growing influence
In Europe’s global travel retail outlets, alcohol shoppers broadly mirror the global picture. Forty per cent interact with staff, while 77% of those interactions influence the purchase decision, marginally below the global alcohol benchmark.
Staff interaction in Europe has risen steadily from 33% in 2023 to 40% in the first half of 2026, while influence has increased from 65% to 77% over the same period.
When shoppers engage with staff at European airports, staff influence is considerably higher than in other regions, reaching an impressive 81%.
Germany – Greater interaction but less impact on sales
In Germany’s GTR channel, alcohol shoppers interact with staff slightly more frequently than the European and global averages, at 42%.
However, these interactions are less influential, with just 68% of shoppers reporting that their exchange affected their final purchase decision. This is significantly below both the European and global alcohol averages for staff influence.
Germany has seen a significant recovery in staff-shopper engagement, rising from 20% in 2023 to 42% in H1 2026. However, the sharp fall in staff influence – from 79% in 2025 to 68% in H1 2026 – suggests that stronger engagement is not yet translating into greater impact.
This points to an opportunity to improve the effectiveness of staff interactions and strengthen their influence at the point of purchase.
For a more detailed analysis of alcohol shopping behaviour, click here to contact m1nd-set directly.
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