Key Takeaways:
Recently, Ghana’s Kotoka International Airport welcomed travelers into a sleek new Scentopia boutique, marking a pivotal shift in how Africa’s beauty consumers are being served. For decades, the continent’s airports have been overlooked in the global travel retail conversation. However, a growing cohort of African retailers and distributors believes that is about to change.
Africa welcomed 74 million international arrivals in 2024, up 12% from 2023 and 7% above prepandemic levels, according to figures released at the UNWTO‑ICAO Ministerial Conference in Luanda, Angola, outpacing global averages. With an expanding middle class and a surge in intra-African travel, airports, spaces that promise both exposure and exclusivity, are becoming new entry points for global luxury and beauty brands.
At the center of this is Scentopia, a Ghana-based luxury beauty retailer acquired by Inter-Africa Marketing (IAM) in 2022. Since its founding in 2018, Scentopia has quietly built a regional land retail network spanning Ghana, Senegal, and Mauritius. Now, it’s taking on the skies.
“The vision really was to give the African consumer the same experience they would have abroad, whether in London Heathrow, Dubai Duty Free, or Paris Charles de Gaulle,” Johnny Lakhwani, Managing Director at IAM, said to BeautyMatter. “That’s what Scentopia’s objective was domestically, and now in the travel retail space, we’re trying to deliver that across sub-Saharan Africa.”
Building Bridges for Global Brands
IAM functions as a vital bridge for international beauty brands seeking access to Africa’s complex retail ecosystem. The company distributes across more than 40 markets with seven regional offices and six warehouses, working with over 400 retail partners and 2,000 points of sale. Its portfolio includes global giants such as Coty, Puig, and L’Oréal, with a product mix ranging from mass to niche luxury fragrances.
“Many global beauty brands want to have a presence in Africa,” Lakhwani explained. “But it’s difficult for them to open offices or manage logistics directly in markets like Ghana or Nigeria. That’s where we come in; we’re essentially the bridge,” he continued. That bridge is now extending to travel retail. Scentopia’s Accra International Airport store, its first-ever airport location, launched on the fourth of November as part of the retailer’s strategy to elevate African travel retail to international standards.
Vipul Gajjar, Scentopia’s CEO, told BeautyMatter that the move was both logical and symbolic. “We already had a strong presence in the domestic market,” he said. “The travel retail segment was the next natural step, as it allows us to expand our services to affluent customers who travel and to showcase, from an African perspective, what Ghana can offer.”
The timing is strategic. African consumers are increasingly mobile, digitally connected, and globally minded. Research from Marketing Analytics Africa estimates that Africa’s consumer spending will reach $2.5 trillion by 2030, driven by a young, aspirational population with growing disposable income. Airports, where consumers are relaxed, time-rich, and receptive, offer fertile ground for retail innovation.
Still, Africa’s travel retail environment has historically lagged. “Oftentimes, whether it’s an independent operator or a multinational, they don’t often put their best foot forward,” Lakhwani noted. “Operating travel retail stores has a lot of complexity to it, especially in an African airport where there are additional layers of control and security.”
Scentopia’s goal is to rewrite that story. Designed to mirror the sophistication of European flagships, the Accra store features immersive fragrance bars, luxury skincare counters, and well-trained beauty advisers who deliver a personalized experience. “You can walk into a Scentopia in Ghana and close your eyes and you could be in any city in the world,” Lakhwani said. “That’s how we measure success.”
The L’Oréal Lighthouse
In November, IAM, in partnership with Nigerian retailer Dunes, took their ambitions further with the opening of a dedicated L’Oréal store at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja. The 50-square-meter boutique is devoted entirely to L’Oréal Luxe and its dermatological beauty brands, including Lancôme, YSL Beauty, Armani, Vichy, and CeraVe.
“L’Oréal wanted a flagship store where other operators could see the potential of these brands when they’re properly expressed,” Lakhwani explained. “They wanted to set a gold standard for travel retail in Africa. Think of it as a lighthouse for the industry.”
In a bid for sustainability and local empowerment, all store furniture was designed and produced in Nigeria. “Usually, for high-standard executions, furniture is imported,” Lakhwani noted. “But L’Oréal wanted us to develop it locally at an international level so we could show that Africa can meet that standard.”
The African traveler, Lakhwani and Gajjar emphasized, is evolving rapidly. “Probably in the past, you would say the African traveler was mostly a business traveler,” Lakhwani said. “But that’s changing. You now have the return of the diaspora—‘Detty December’ in Ghana and Nigeria, for instance—and far more intra-African travel. These are real shoppers.”
Gajjar added that the airport setting also reaches consumers who might otherwise remain elusive. “The ultrarich in Africa often don’t shop in malls for reasons like convenience, security, or culture,” he explained. “Opening at the airport gives us access to that demographic. Then you have passengers from neighboring countries like Benin, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire who don’t have access to these brands locally. It’s a whole new customer base.”
For Scentopia, translating its high-touch land retail experience to an airport environment required precision. “The difference is in speed,” said Gajjar. “At an airport, the time you have with a customer can be very short, or if they’ve arrived early, very long. So, our beauty advisers must be agile enough to deliver both quick and in-depth experiences.”
Product curation is equally crucial. “At airports, travel-size products become essential,” he added. “If you don’t stock a 30 ml moisturizer that fits in a handbag, you lose a sale. It’s those details that define success in travel retail.”
Navigating Economic Realities
Of course, launching luxury retail ventures in markets like Nigeria and Ghana comes with challenges, from currency fluctuations to import costs. Yet Lakhwani remained optimistic. “You have to take a long-term view,” he said. “When you look at the top-end brands, their customers remain consistent regardless of devaluation. And when you look at mass brands, they stay steady too. It’s often the middle that’s affected, but overall, Africa is one of the most exciting places to do business right now.”
Gajjar agreed, emphasizing that pricing strategy in travel retail is a balance, not a bargain. “It’s a myth that airports are always cheaper,” he said. “At Scentopia, we align our pricing with international markets like London or Paris because consumers today are too knowledgeable. The difference isn't in price; it’s in exclusivity. Our airport stores offer travel retail-only products like miniatures and special gift sets.”
Scentopia’s move into travel retail is only the beginning. Both executives hinted at future expansions into other African airports as opportunities arise. “When the right location appears, we’ll enter,” said Gajjar. “Airports are a critical part of our long-term growth strategy.”
Lakhwani added that Africa’s broader retail landscape remains fertile. “This is probably the market where you see the most new stores opening,” he said. “In Europe, a lot of doors are closing, but here, we’re building. We’re seeing reforms, new malls, and new infrastructure. It’s a super exciting place to be.”
As air travel and affluence rise, Africa’s airports could soon become as synonymous with luxury beauty as Dubai or Singapore. For consumers, that means a new kind of journey—one that begins not at check-in but at the fragrance or beauty counter.
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