Travel Retail's experts
We transform
data into actionable insight
We create user friendly assets for leading fmcg brands and retailers who use our data to inform their decision making.
Your Travel Retail research partner
We know Travel Retail
Founded in 2019, Pi Insight delivers specialist research, insight, and data solutions to the global Travel Retail industry. We partner with brands, retailers, and industry associations to uncover meaningful intelligence that drives smarter decisions and stronger performance.
Our team is made up of experienced Travel Retail insight specialists with deep expertise across a wide range of data management processes & techniques and research methodologies.
From market analysis to shopper behaviour and category trends, we combine rigorous data with real-world industry understanding to provide clarity in a fast-moving environment.
We focus exclusively on Travel Retail, putting us in a unique position to understand the industry, anticipate emerging trends, and leverage established connections to access the most relevant locations and audiences.
At Pi Insight, we go beyond reporting the numbers. We translate complex data into clear, actionable insights—helping our clients navigate change, identify opportunity, and define strategic direction across key industry themes.
Whether supporting global brands or emerging players, our focus is simple: deliver insight that makes a measurable impact.
Meet the Team
The people behind the work that moves us forward
Stephen Hillam
Managing Director
Steve founded Pi Insight in early 2019 to deliver specialist research, insight, and data solutions to the Travel Retail industry.
Drawing on senior experience at leading Travel Retail consultancies, Steve built Pi Insight to combine deep industry knowledge with advanced research and data expertise. Today, he leads a team of experienced Travel Retail insight specialists, working with global brands, retailers, and industry associations to deliver clear, actionable insight and strategic direction across a wide range of industry themes.
Steve is passionate about working closely with stakeholders to understand their challenges and shape insight that drives real commercial impact. He regularly contributes to and presents at key Travel Retail industry conferences, including the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference, where he shares perspectives on emerging trends, shopper behaviour, and market dynamics.
In addition to Travel Retail, Steve brings expertise in packaging development, offering a broader perspective on product and consumer engagement.
When he’s not immersed in Travel Retail research, Steve is often out running in the Yorkshire countryside—usually training for his next race.
Sabeen Ditta
Holly Frankland
Lois Hillam
Jess Lemmon
Louisa McCoy
Beth Nichols
Sanchi Tyagi
Ieva Wood
Sam Wood
FAQs
Questions? We're glad you asked.
If you're new or looking for answers to your questions, find solutions to common inquiries.
Travel Retail market research helps brands, retailers, airports, and operators understand shopper behaviour within the travel environment — including airports, airlines, ferries, rail, cruises, and border stores. It provides insights into passenger demographics, purchasing motivations, category performance, customer experience, and commercial opportunities.
Pi Insight works with Travel Retail brands, airport retailers, duty free operators, airports, distributors, and industry stakeholders globally. Clients range from luxury and beauty brands to food & beverage, fashion, and technology companies operating in the Travel Retail sector.
Pi Insight offers both qualitative and quantitative research services, including:
- Passenger and shopper profiling
- Brand awareness and perception studies
- Shopper journey mapping
- Customer satisfaction research
- Concept and product testing
- Retail experience evaluations
- Market sizing and category analysis
- Omnibus and syndicated studies
- Competitive benchmarking
Travel Retail shoppers behave differently from high street or online consumers. Factors such as time pressure, international audiences, airport environments, travel purpose, and duty free pricing all influence purchasing decisions. Specialist Travel Retail research captures these unique dynamics to deliver more accurate and actionable insights.
Pi Insight conducts research across global Travel Retail markets, including Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, and Africa. Research can be conducted in individual airports or across multiple regions depending on the project scope.
Yes. Pi Insight specialises in airport fieldwork and passenger interviewing within airport environments. This includes departures lounges, retail areas, lounges, and arrival zones where permitted.
Yes. Pi Insight specialises in airport fieldwork and passenger interviewing within airport environments. This includes departures lounges, retail areas, lounges, and arrival zones where permitted.
Pi Insight uses a range of methodologies tailored to client objectives, including:
- Face-to-face airport interviews
- Online surveys
- Mobile research
- Focus groups
- In-depth interviews
- Mystery shopping
- Ethnographic research
- Data analytics and reporting
Recruitment is conducted using targeted screening criteria such as nationality, destination, airline, purchase behaviour, passenger type, or category engagement. This ensures research audiences closely match client objectives.
Pi Insight supports multiple categories including:
- Beauty and cosmetics
- Wines and spirits
- Confectionery
- Luxury goods
- Fashion and accessories
- Electronics
- Food and beverage
- Tobacco
- Wellness and lifestyle
Yes. Pi Insight supports product and concept testing before launch, helping brands understand shopper appeal, pricing expectations, merchandising opportunities, and purchase intent within Travel Retail environments.
Airport shopper research can help brands understand:
- Who their shoppers are
- Why travellers purchase
- Which categories drive conversion
- How passengers navigate retail spaces
- Which touchpoints influence buying decisions
- How to improve visibility and sales performance
Timelines vary depending on methodology, markets, and sample size. Smaller projects can often be delivered within a few weeks, while multi-market studies may require longer fieldwork and analysis periods.
Yes. Every project is tailored to the client’s objectives, target audience, and commercial goals. Pi Insight designs bespoke research programmes to answer specific business questions.
You can contact the team directly through the company website contact form, here >
We transform data into actionable insight.
We create user friendly assets for leading fmcg brands and retailers who use our data to inform their decision making.
