Qatar Duty Free has announced the opening of the first Aesop store in Qatar, located at South Node, Hamad International Airport. Celebrated for its considered formulations and sustainable approach, the skin, hair, and body care brand has unveiled a design-led retail concept inspired by Qatar’s natural landscape, coastal textures, and vernacular architecture.
Nestled within the South Node, this new space has been conceived by Aesop’s in-house Store Design team as a sanctuary of calm for these global explorers. The design serves as an exploration of the peninsula’s geography, incorporating materials that reference Qatar’s coastal environment—from the rammed earth of the rear wall to the coral stone central counters. Blending organic forms with a contemporary aesthetic, the store offers a sensory destination with a true “place with soul” for travellers passing through Doha.
To engage passengers and make a lasting first impression, the store introduces an experience designed specifically for those on the move. Travelers can step away from the airport rush and enjoy personalized pre-flight skin preparations. These hands-on applications include a refreshing spritz of Aesop’s Immediate Moisture Facial Hydrosol or an application of Immaculate Facial Tonic using reusable skincare pads, offering a restorative moment of physical touch and real experience before takeoff.
Reflecting a shared belief in holistic hospitality, the store features thoughtful, generous touches that extend the experience well into the flight. Travellers are invited to enjoy custom-made tea bags prepared for their journey, alongside generously proportioned samples, and the brand’s signature furoshiki wrapping.
“We believe Travel Retail is at its best when it reshapes the codes of retail and sets the highest standards. At Hamad International Airport, in close partnership with Qatar Duty Free, we set out to create memorable experiences that truly become part of the traveller’s journey. That begins with a genuine sense of place: Aesop’s sanctuary of calm, inspired by the local culture, is the perfect expression of this vision. Together, we are turning brief layovers into memories that last.” – Eva Yu, L’Oréal Travel Retail President
“Retail excellence is about creating moments that make the journey feel more meaningful. By bringing Aesop’s full holistic universe – spanning skincare, body care, and fragrance – into the airport, we are offering travellers more than just products; we are providing a genuine moment of respite. This first Aesop opening at Hamad International Airport with Qatar Duty Free marks a major milestone. It reflects our shared ambition to curate multi-category experiences that turn a transit point into a destination for discovery and care.” – Catia Martins, L’Oréal Travel Retail West & Emerging Director
Mr. Thabet Musleh, Chief Retail & Hospitality Officer at Qatar Airways Group, said: “At Qatar Duty Free, we are constantly seeking to curate new and engaging retail experiences for our passengers at Hamad International Airport. The opening of the first Aesop in Qatar – with its geographically-inspired retail design and travel-inspired offering – further strengthens our retail portfolio while inviting local and transiting passengers to discover a unique and unexpected new destination on their journey.”
