Qatar Duty Free (QDF) has been named Airport Retailer of the Year for the fourth consecutive year at the 2026 Frontier Awards in Cannes, France, reinforcing its position as one of the leading players in global airport retail.
The award was presented during the Frontier Awards ceremony held at Palm Beach in Cannes on September 30 as part of TFWA World Exhibition week. QDF also secured a second major accolade for its Lancôme Café de la Rose at Hamad International Airport.
4th in a Row
Airport Retailer of the Year
15
New Retail Concepts in 12 Months
16
New F&B Destinations
9%
Sales Growth to March 2026
Two Frontier Awards for QDF in 2026
Airport Retailer of the Year
QDF’s fourth consecutive win in the category, following victories in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Best Speciality Concept – Hybrid & F&B
Awarded for the Lancôme Café de la Rose at Hamad International Airport.
Expanding the Offer at Hamad International Airport
The recognition comes as QDF continues to expand its retail and hospitality offering. Industry data reported by Global Travel Retail Magazine shows that the retailer recorded 9% sales growth in the 12 months to March 2026, while adding 15 new retail concepts and 16 food and beverage destinations.
The expansion added approximately 2,700 square metres of retail and dining space across the airport’s Concourse D and E areas.
First POP MART in the Middle East
Among the new concepts introduced over the past 12 months was the region’s first POP MART store.
Major Brand Activations
QDF also staged major brand activations, including a large-scale holiday campaign with Charlotte Tilbury.
The “Experiencentricity” Strategy
At the centre of QDF’s strategy is what it describes as “experiencentricity”, an approach that places the passenger experience at the heart of retail, dining and hospitality decisions. It reflects a broader shift in airport retail, where operators increasingly combine traditional shopping with entertainment, food, design and immersive brand experiences.
Lancôme Café de la Rose
The concept exemplifies the experiencentricity model. It combines Lancôme’s beauty and fragrance offering with a dedicated café environment, creating a hybrid space where passengers can explore the brand while enjoying a hospitality experience. The Frontier Awards recognised it for its design, offer and innovative positioning as an airport beauty café.
According to the Moodie Davitt Report, Café de la Rose previously collected three awards at the 2026 Airport Food & Beverage Awards, for:
Airport Retailer of the Year: A Four-Year Run
Frontier Awards- First win 2023
- Second consecutive win 2024
- Third consecutive win 2025
- Fourth consecutive win 2026
The consecutive victories underline the retailer’s sustained focus on innovation, new concepts and passenger-focused experiences at Hamad International Airport.
Leadership Reaction
Thabet Musleh, Qatar Airways Group Chief Retail & Hospitality Officer, said the fourth consecutive Airport Retailer of the Year title represented a significant achievement for QDF’s team and partners. He also highlighted the resilience and adaptability of the organisation during what he described as a challenging year.
With its latest double victory in Cannes, Qatar Duty Free is strengthening its role in shaping the next generation of airport retail, where shopping is increasingly integrated with dining, entertainment and experiential hospitality.
