Collinson Invests in Airport Digital-Commerce Platform Grab

Sept. 12, 2018

Collinson on Sept. 11, announced a significant investment in Grab, the airport e-commerce platform. Providing mobile order-ahead capabilities at airports across the UK and US, Grab allows travelers to skip the queue and increases the potential customer base for airport food and beverage and retail providers.

Collinson and Grab will work together to create new services for travelers and commercial opportunities for airport restaurants and retailers. The partnership is an exciting example of Collinson’s wider airport strategy to work with external partners to continue to grow and develop its market-leading airport loyalty proposition. Collinson will also support the acceleration of Grab’s roll out, leveraging its international footprint and relationships to expand to new markets globally. In addition to its financial investment, Collinson will take a seat on Grab’s Board.

Colin Evans, founder and chairman of Collinson, comments, “The collaboration with Grab is the latest in a series of investments in exciting, innovative companies that align with our existing product offering to deliver value to both parties. The partnership will allow us to extend and enhance the benefits and services we provide as part of our continued drive to discover opportunities to help today’s travelers make the very best use of their limited time in airports and travel hubs worldwide. By developing and working with world-leading services, we continue to accelerate innovation and deliver the most compelling experiences to travelers around the world.”

The investment reflects Collinson’s continued focus on transforming the airport experience for members of the loyalty and benefits programmes it operates, targeting increasingly digital, frequent travelers around the world. Collinson and Grab are already working to align their products to create a market-leading joint loyalty proposition, building enhanced experiences for travelers to increase loyalty. In the first instance, Grab will be introduced at a selection of UK and US airports to Priority Pass Members who have purchased their Membership directly through www.prioritypass.com, enabling them to order food and drink directly from the Priority Pass app for convenient pick up within minutes from a range of participating outlets.

Mark Bergsrud, founder and chief executive officer of Grab, adds, “We are excited to partner with Collinson and create engaging digital experiences in airport retail together. We are aligned in maximising value for our partners while enhancing the airport experience for busy travelers on the go.”