Heathrow Terminal 2 Preview

I was recently invited to preview the retail offering of the new "Queens Terminal" otherwise known at Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport. The event was held at Marylebone One which is just a beautiful venue. Each retailer and restaurant showcased what they had to offer to the new Terminal which opens on June the 4th. 

Retaillers such as Cath Kidston, Thomas Pink, Sunglass Hut, John Lewis and World Duty Free showcased what they will be offering in the new terminal. Hand massages, Manicures and interactive services were available.

Resturants were also showcasing their food, scrumptious scones, pints of beers and even caviar was available to try. Heston Blumenthal was showing off what his restaurant would be like in the new terminal with nitrogen cocktails.

Hand Massages by Jo Malone

Sunglass Hut

Cath Kidston

Thomas Pink

John Lewis

Heathrow Terminal 2 Retail Preview - Press Release

Welcome to the Queens Terminal - A Terminal of world firsts.

With the grand opening of the brand new Terminal 2 fast approaching, Heathrow is presenting the retail offering to the worlds media. Since the closure in 2009, £11 billion has been spent on the terminal's refurbishment which will be opened by the Queen on the 4th June. With 52 retail stores and 17 bars and restaurants, Terminal 2 will be a place of world firsts amongst the shopping, leisure and dining experience. 

The world's first ever personal shopping service in an airport will be available in the terminal. Stylists will be on hand free of charge to help customers with their shopping experience. Regardless to ticket type, travellers will be able to use the personal styling lounge where they will be advised.

60% of the brands retailing in the terminal are British with the massive high street store John Lewis making their airport debut at the terminal. The store will be a unique airport store offering the best of home, fashion and gifts. Another British favourite, Heston Blumenthal - who will be opening a brand new restaurant "The Perfectionists' Café". The restaurant will have a 15 minute menu and on-board picnic options. Heathrow will be the only airport in the world to have two Michelin star chef. Along with Heston, Gordon Ramsey also has a restaurant in the airport.

With over 80,000 passengers expected to be passing through the terminal per day, the retail offering has rose to an exceptional standard. Cath Kidston, Ted Baker and Thomas Pink are just some of the high street stores that will be located in the departure lounge. Designer stores such as Burberry, Bottega Veneta and Harrods will be offering travellers with luxury products.

Max Vialou-Clark, Retail Director at Heathrow said, "Terminal 2 marks the next step in our quest to provide passengers with the best possible experience when they choose to travel through Heathrow. Heathrow is now the only airport in the world to offer a free Personal Shopping lounge together with a selection of over 140 brands that have been selected especially for our customers."

--ENDS--

Innovative Thinking & News Debate

In today's lecture we covered a number of subjects relating to current affairs, successful businesses and preparing us for third year. It was great to provide my input and also listen to everyone else's opinions on such a variety of topics. 

We started off the session discussing how to be successful. Innovative thinking is key, especially in the third year with been unique with our final project and knowing what the customer wants. We also need to play about with ideas, brainstorm and experiment to see what would make the most profit. 

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We discussed about interning in London, the pro's and con's. Sometimes it's better to speak up when in a role as you may be took more seriously. Living in London was also a topic and the rising costs of living in the capital might not make accessible despite been the central hub of the fashion world. I think it's something really important to think about as after graduation we will all be thinking about where to go. Would it be better to commute into London or is a house share the best?

We also had a debate about current affairs and what is happening in the media. We discussed how much is controlled on the news and what could be kept from the general public. We looked at Terrorism, Conspiracy theories surrounding 9/11, the missing Malaysian flight.

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Celebrity Culture is another topic we discussed and how certain topics can be relatable. For Example; how celebrities body image is scrutinized under the media spotlight. This can be related to the pressure of looking good in the current social standing and how some people might judge you. It's all the same whether your a celebrity or a student - Some will be there to judge you and someone will feel inadequate with they way they look.