Whisky connoisseurs and drinkers walking down the revamped Terminal 4 of London’s Heathrow Airport are in for a treat as WDF has opened a new World of Whiskies store. The store was commissioned by WDF in partnership with William Grant & Sons while Sheridan & Co developed the new concept of the store.
World of Whiskies store at London Heathrow Airport
Sheridan’s new design concept for the store mixes the modern and traditional, juxtaposing a sleek, contemporary interior with a palette of seasoned materials associated with the whisky industry, such as oak and brass. Based on customer insight, the agreed theme for the store was that of discovering whisky. The theme was then applied to the many facets of whisky, from its history and production, to choosing the right whiskies for specific occasions. The journey of discovery also involves access to unique and rare whiskies.
The high-tech store offers many rare, exclusive and limited edition whiskies. Some of the rare whiskies on display and for sale include The Bowmore 1965 retailing at £6,000 ($10,100); The Dalmore 40yo at £1,000 ($1,700) and one bottle of Glenfiddich 50 Year Old at £10,000 ($16,800).
World of Whiskies store at London Heathrow Airport
On entering the store customers encounter the Discover Your Taste tasting bar where they can sit in comfort and sample a variety of whiskies – assisted by the World of Whiskies expert staff – to discover the one that they prefer.This process is aided by the use of RFID technology that displays information on LCD screens when the customer places a chosen bottle of Glenfiddich or The Balvenie malt on the tasting bar counter. Headphones are also provided, enabling the customer to listen to relevant whisky information as they view the screen content, helping them to make a more informed whisky choice.
World of Whiskies store at London Heathrow Airport
As part of the strategy to demystify whisky and welcome the whisky novice, the traditional product segmentation has been changed to reflect lifestyle aspects as well as origin of each whisky.New segmentations include Fireside Indulgence and Not the Usual, which create a more emotional connection with the product and promote the best whisky for a particular occasion. For the more experienced whisky drinker product is also still merchandised by origin: such as Islay, Speyside or Highlands.
Those who have more time to spend can come and have a tasting experience and learn about whisky assisted by World of Whiskies specialist staff. For those with limited whisky knowledge, selection is made easy with the Favourites, Daily Dram or Gifting sections.
World of Whiskies store at London Heathrow Airport
World of Whiskies store at London Heathrow Airport
