The Macallan opens ‘unique’ standalone store

Edrington-owned single malt Scotch brand The Macallan has opened its “first-ever” standalone boutique at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, in partnership with operator Everrich Duty Free.

The Macallan has opened its ‘first’ standalone airport at Taiwan Taoyuan airport

Inspired by The Macallan’s new distillery and visitor centre, due to open in early 2018, the store aims to offer shoppers a “journey of discovery and exploration”.

Featuring the widest range of the brand’s products in duty free, The Macallan Boutique offers fine and rare expressions alongside travel retail exclusive line The 1824 Collection. A series of boutique-exclusive, limited edition releases will also be made available to mark the opening.

The design of the store focuses on the role of wood in whisky making, with the material central in design and architecture, and in the store’s experiential retail features.

A ‘Wonder Wall’ was developed to attract people into the store using video content depicting the brand journey “from acorn to glass”.

Once inside, a ‘Master of Wood’ area then introduces shoppers to three cask types: European and American oak casks season with Sherry, and American oak casks seasoned with Bourbon.

An interactive engagement table nosing and tasting concept enables customers to explore their flavour preferences and drinking styles, with digital displays then offering recommendations.

Convenience is another focus of the store, and a sliding interactive screen has been utilises to enable easy selection from the core Macallan expressions.

The store also features a dedicated space for personalisation, gift packing and festive and seasonal products.

“Consumer engagement and storytelling is at the heart of our strategy for growing The Macallan,” said Coral Gill, regional brand director, APAC and Global Travel Retail.

“From the story of the wood which is used to create our casks, through to the exceptional nature of the spirit itself, our new boutique tells the story of The Macallan creatively, innovatively and in a highly compelling fashion which we believe will resonate strongly with consumers. By using elements from our new distillery and visitor experience, we wanted to give people a glimpse into the future and The Macallan’s state of the art brand home.”

Aristotelis Baroutsis, Edrington Global Travel Retail managing director, added: “There are very few single malt brands with the appeal, heritage and brand equity to support an initiative like this.

“It’s a testament to The Macallan’s standing and the popularity it enjoyed in Taiwan – the largest duty free market for The Macallan in the world – that we are able to deliver this unique experience here.

“We hope to engage not only with existing fans of The Macallan and whisky connoisseurs but also create a lasting impression on a new generation of consumers in Asia through an immersive and memorable experience.”

Earlier this year, The Macallan teamed up with British photographer Nick Veasey to launch The Macallan Classic Travel Range, a collection of limited edition, travel retail exclusive packaging designs.