Corporate Social Responsibility

Switzerland is a leading country in the STARS operational excellence program, contributing to and piloting a number of global solutions to drive continuous improvement: innovative Self-Check Out features to smooth store flows, Staff Network Tool to boost both staff commitment and service excellence, Staffing optimization to ensure we have the right staff in the right place at the right time.

As a Travel Retail operator serving hundreds of thousands of passengers every day, we must adapt the way we do business in order to contribute to building a more sustainable industry.

Our CSR strategy, PEPS (Planet.Ethics.People.Social), is aligned to the global stakes the travel retail industry is facing and is at the heart of our strategy and decision-making. It is articulated around 4 pillars underpinned by 12 tangible commitments which all relate to one of more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

In 2021, we have established an ambitious roadmap to improve our environmental impact faster and have a greater positive impact on the communities we serve. We have set clear targets to measure the progress made towards fulfilling our commitments. These are fully aligned with our stakeholders’ needs and expectations and will be monitored and communicated on a yearly basis. Among them is a commitment to be contributing to carbon neutrality, across all operations, by the end of 2023.

Find out more information about our CSR strategy here.

Planet

We are reducing the environmental impact of our operations, cooperating whenever possible with Landlords, Brands, and Suppliers to achieve ambitious industry goals.

To reduce our environmental footprint and increase the sustainability of our operations, we are committed to:

Reducing carbon emissions contributing to ambitious industry targets
Reducing waste
Promoting responsible packaging and disposables

Our 2025 targets:

100% of countries have waste measurement systems and waste reduction initiatives in place
100% of countries have switched to responsible consumables

Targets for outlets selling water bottles:

All stores have an alternative to single-use plastic water bottle by the end of 2024
Accelerate switch of single-use plastic water bottle to 100% RPET, at least 3/4 will be 100% RPET by the end of 2025

Ethics

We are promoting ethical business practices and supporting Brands and Partners who contribute to a responsible offer.

In order to demonstrate the highest ethical standards, we are committed to:

Developing local food and products sourcing
Promoting responsible products and ingredients
Cultivating ethical behaviour

Our 2025 targets:

100% of suppliers have signed our responsible supplier charter
100% of new staff and risk populations receive anti-bribery training
100% of eggs purchased for our restaurants are cage-free (as of end of 2022, 40% of the eggs purchased globally are cage-free)

France’s responsible product commitments for 2024 in proprietary brands:

50% of the catering offer reserved to local, organic, sustainable or labelled products
80% of sold products are French

People

We are offering our People an inclusive and stimulating work environment where everyone can thrive.

We place people at the heart of our strategy and we want to be recognized as the most attractive employer in the travel retail industry. We are committed to:

Ensuring security and well-being at work
Promoting employee engagement
Fostering diversity and equal opportunities

Our 2025 targets:

100% of countries run employee engagement surveys & implement staff initiatives
50-50 gender balance within Top Executive teams
100% of managers receive diversity & inclusion awareness training

Social

We leverage our global capabilities to best serve the local Communities wherever we operate.

We are committed to:

Supporting local communities
Encouraging and facilitating volunteering
Leveraging our network to make donations

2025 targets:

100% of countries have developed initiatives to support local communities
100% of countries have developed an employee volunteering program
0,5% of earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) are donated

Download(s)

CSR Strategy and Report

Corporate Brochure: PEPS Strategy - 2023

Our PEPS projects

Aelia hosts a pop-up to raise awareness about sustainable development

For the third time, Lagardère Travel Retail Switzerland has joined forces with United Nations Geneva to present the '170 Actions and more to combat climate change' pop-up at Genève Airport. Developed in partnership with the Perception Change Project of UN Geneva, this interactive space serves as a platform to engage travelers in discovering 170 daily actions to protect the environment, from reducing inequalities to combating climate change and embracing sustainable consumption.

Lagardere Travel Retail - Sustainable development Pop-up at Geneva Airport

Made51, a pop-up in honor of refugees

In a dedicated space, the eco-responsible Aelia Duty-free boutique hosted a pop-up in partnership with UNCHR, featuring products from the Made51 brand. Profits from this operation were donated to the organization's refugees.

Lagardere Travel Retail - UNCHR pop-up at Geneva Airport

Pop-up in partnership with the UN

In a dedicated area, the eco-responsible Aelia Duty-free boutique hosts several pop-up displays developed in partnership with the United Nations' Perception Change Project to raise passenger awareness of sustainable development goals.

Lagardere Travel Retail - UN Pop-up at Geneva Airport

This pop-up explains in clear, colorful terms the 170 actions advocated by the UN in favor of sustainable development. The space is also designed to interest the youngest visitors and raise their awareness of the need to build a better future.

Aelia's eco-friendly duty-free store, a world first at Geneva airport

In December 2021, Lagardère Travel Retail, in partnership with Geneva International Airport, announces the opening of the world's first eco-responsible store in the Aelia Duty Free network.

Lagardere Travel Retail - Eco-friendly shop at Geneva Airport

Lagardère Travel Retail is committed to playing a leading role in creating a more responsible future, and we work closely with our partners to achieve our shared CSR ambitions. This is demonstrated by our partnership with Geneva International Airport to unveil an eco-responsible evolution of the Aelia Duty Free concept, from materials to product offering.

The store is located in the airport's brand-new East wing, which has been developed to meet the highest standards of energy performance, using state-of-the-art technologies.