112 | theceomagazine.com
Dubai Duty Free operates in one of the
world’s busiest airports. COO Ramesh
Cidambi shares how it stays on the
cutting edge.WORDS DANIEL HERBORN • IMAGES ISSA ALKINDY ARAMAN STUDIOD
ubai Duty Free (DDF) is the largest single
retailer found at any airport in the world.
Situated at Dubai International Airport, the
leading location for international passenger
numbers, it’s a place that never closes and
rarely pauses for breath. For Ramesh Cidambi,
DDF’s Chief Operating Officer, this means a whole network
of logistics and operational issues that must be successfully
managed for the store to serve its customers liquors, cosmetics,
food and luxury items.
“We have 120,000 lines of merchandise and do 74,000
transactions a day. Without a robust back office to support us,
we simply could not do it at all,” says Ramesh. These figures
make DDF the world’s largest airport duty-free retailer by
sales volume. It has also maintained an excellent industry »“
Nothing
has STOPPED
us.
”
INNOVATE | Interview