Retail inMotion

What Retail inMotion does

Retail inMotion is an Ireland-headquartered, privately held onboard retail specialist serving more than 40 airlines globally, including Ryanair, the Lufthansa Group carriers (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings Discover), Aer Lingus, American Airlines, EasyJet, Spirit Airlines, and Etihad. Founded in 2004 and acquired by AURELIUS Group in April 2023, the company operates from Dublin with regional offices in Frankfurt and Dallas, employing 300+ staff across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Its commercial offering is delivered both as a fully outsourced onboard retail program and as modular technology, anchored by the proprietary Vector cloud platform.

The technical core is the Vector platform: a modular, cloud-based onboard retail management system with a web-accessible back office, mobile applications, an in-house PCI DSS Level 1 and P2Pe-accredited payment gateway, and nearly 100 out-of-the-shelf APIs covering scheduling, loyalty, booking, caterer, and payment-acquirer integrations. Around Vector sit passenger-facing modules (Pre-Order/Pre-Select, Order2Seat, Digital Menu Card, Virtual Try-On AR), crew-facing modules (vPOS used by 35+ airlines, Kubis crew management acquired from Lufthansa Systems, reconciliation, crew commission), and service-provider modules (order management, warehouse management, invoicing). Predictive loading uses machine learning on historical sales and route characteristics, and operational scale covers 90+ stations across three temperature zones through seven central distribution centres with a documented 99% delivery and product availability KPI on the Ryanair contract.

Revenue is generated through six interlocking streams: SaaS/licensing of the Vector platform, fully outsourced managed retail programs, product distribution (food and beverage, boutique, duty free), hardware supply (POS devices, printers, the WiFi-Box), crew engagement and training services (over 25,000 face-to-face interactions annually), and design services for menus, magazines, and packaging. Pricing is bespoke, contract-by-contract, negotiated directly with airline decision-makers via enterprise field sales. Multi-year contracts (e.g., Aer Lingus 2017, Ryanair renewed June 2025 for five years) form the commercial backbone, with industry event presence (World Aviation Festival, Onboard Hospitality Awards) and earned media supplementing direct sales.

Name

Retail inMotion

Legal name

Retail inMotion Limited

Website

https://retailinmotion.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Retail inMotion is a Dublin-headquartered onboard retail specialist serving 40+ global airlines with its proprietary Vector technology platform, fully outsourced retail program management, supply chain operations across 90+ stations, and crew engagement services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Onboard Retail Technology and Services for Airlines

NAICS

Other Commercial Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42344)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Onboard Retail, Duty-Free & Payments (THABAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

In-Flight Operations Support (Cabin Logistics, Loading, Inventory) (THABAMAJ), In-Flight Alcohol & Tobacco Retail (Airline Sales) (CRANAIAF), Airline Retailing & Offer/Order Management (NDC/ONE Order) (THALABAB)

Keywords

• Airline onboard retail
• Inflight retail technology
• Onboard payment solutions
• Airline supply chain management
• Crew engagement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sandyford

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Technology Platform Licensing & SaaS: Revenue from licensing the proprietary Vector technology platform including POS, pre-order, back office, warehouse management, and payment gateway modules. Delivered as a modular, cloud-based SaaS solution.
2. Fully Outsourced Retail Program Management: End-to-end onboard retail management including procurement, supply chain, packing, distribution, crew engagement, training, and promotions. Manages over 90 stations across temperature zones in seven central distribution centres.
3. Product Distribution (Food & Beverage, Boutique, Duty Free): Supply and distribution of food & beverage, boutique, and duty-free products across airline networks. Managing complex supply chains for products sourced globally with local sourcing where possible.
4. Crew Engagement & Training Services: Bespoke crew training, incentives, events, and engagement programs. The Crew Engagement team establishes over 25,000 meaningful face-to-face interactions each year.
5. Design Services: Menu and magazine design, crew design, and product packaging design services tailored to airline branding and passenger experience requirements.
6. Hardware Supply: Supply of payment devices, printers, custom sled cases, and WiFi-Box hardware for onboard retail operations.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Retail inMotion provides end-to-end onboard retail solutions for airlines, combining its proprietary Vector technology platform (covering inflight POS, pre-order, payment processing, digital menus and virtual try-on) with managed retail services that include supply chain and distribution of food, beverage and boutique products, crew engagement and training, design services and onboard hardware. Airlines can either license the Vector modules or use the fully outsourced 360° Capabilities model in which Retail inMotion runs the entire onboard retail program.

Product overview

Retail inMotion operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture offering the proprietary Vector technology platform as its core product, complemented by passenger-facing modules (Pre-Order/Pre-Select, Order2Seat, Digital Menu Card, Virtual Try-On), crew-facing solutions (Point of Sale, Kubis crew communication, Reconciliation, Crew Commission), service provider tools (Order Management, Warehouse Management, Invoicing, Caterer Solutions), and professional services (Crew Training, Crew Incentives, Crew Events, Design Services, 360 Capabilities, Account Management, Operational Excellence). The Vector platform provides the unified cloud-based infrastructure connecting all modules with nearly 100 APIs, while hardware solutions support device deployment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vector: Proprietary end-to-end onboard retail technology platform providing passenger engagement, crew process optimisation, payment solutions, and retail management capabilities for airlines.
• vPOS
• Order2Seat (O2S)
• Virtual Try-On
• Kubis
• Pre-Order/Pre-Select
• Digital Menu Card

Products and services

• Vector Platform Vector is Retail inMotion's proprietary end-to-end onboard retail technology platform for airlines. It is modular, cloud-based and exposes nearly 100 APIs, integrating pre-order, inflight POS, payment processing, digital menus, crew engagement and analytics so airlines can run onboard sales, pre-select purchases and seamless payments.
• vPOS Inflight Point-of-Sale vPOS is the inflight point-of-sale terminal application within Vector, used by cabin crew on board aircraft to transact sales of food, beverage and boutique items, integrating with the vPay payment gateway.
• vPay Payment Gateway vPay is Vector's PCI DSS Level 1 certified payment gateway, processing bank card and digital wallet transactions for onboard purchases across multiple regions and currencies.
• Pre-Order / Pre-Select Pre-Order / Pre-Select is Vector's pre-flight ordering module, allowing passengers to place onboard purchases ahead of the flight via the airline's app or web channel, integrating with airline systems for delivery at seat.
• Order2Seat (O2S) Order2Seat (O2S) is Vector's inflight fulfillment capability, routing pre-ordered or crew-taken purchases directly to the passenger's seat during the flight.
• Digital Menu Card The Digital Menu Card is Vector's digital menu rendering solution, presenting dynamic, route-tailored onboard menus on passenger devices and seat-back screens.
• Virtual Try-On Virtual Try-On is Vector's augmented reality capability letting passengers preview onboard boutique products such as sunglasses on their own device before or during the flight.
• Kubis Crew Communication Platform Kubis is Vector's crew communication and engagement module, enabling cabin crews to receive product info, training, communications and incentives from the airline and onboard retail team.
• 360° Capabilities (Fully Outsourced Onboard Retail Program Management) 360° Capabilities is Retail inMotion's fully outsourced end-to-end onboard retail program in which the company plans, operates and continuously optimises the airline's onboard retail program — combining Vector technology with supply chain, crew engagement, design and analytics services under one managed contract.
• Food & Beverage and Boutique Product Supply Retail inMotion supplies a curated range of branded food, beverages and boutique (lifestyle/duty-free-style) products to airline customers, handling procurement, packaging, warehousing and distribution to 90+ stations globally.
• Onboard Hardware Solutions (incl. WiFi-Box) Retail inMotion supplies onboard hardware for airline retail operations, including the WiFi-Box (cellular connectivity hub that turns aircraft galley equipment into an online retail point) and other POS/connectivity devices used with the Vector platform.
• Crew Training Services Crew Training is Retail inMotion's structured cabin crew training program covering product knowledge, upselling techniques and onboard retail processes, delivered alongside the Kubis platform.
• Crew Incentive Programs Crew Incentive Programs are commission and reward schemes that Retail inMotion designs and operates for airline cabin crews to drive onboard retail performance, integrated with the Vector platform's sales reporting.
• Onboard Design Services (Menu & Magazine) Retail inMotion's design team produces onboard menus, magazines and boutique product collateral tailored to each airline's brand and route profile, complementing the Digital Menu Card and pre-order products.
• Account Management Services Account Management is Retail inMotion's dedicated customer-success layer, providing airline customers with a named account team that plans, monitors and continuously optimises their onboard retail program against KPIs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% delivery and product availability KPI maintained over the duration of the Ryanair contract
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability7 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, minor and core.

• UnistostrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2024Exclusive partnership introducing Unisto Spire digital sealing solution and myU application for revolutionary inflight retail packaging and sealing technology.
• e-Mersion MediaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2021Partnership with e-Mersion Media and Eurowings Discover to deliver the industry's first fully digital and immersive magazine on board flights, providing engaging passenger content.
• Lufthansa Systems (mCabin / Kubis)coreTechnology or Integration · 13 March 2019Retail inMotion acquired the mCabin application from Lufthansa Systems, rebranded as Kubis. This crew management tool integrates all essential flight information and facilitates shift assignments for airline crew.
• NX-FOODminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership with NX-FOOD and Eurowings to bring innovative food products onboard, combining food innovation expertise with airline retail operations.
• LSG GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partnership with one of the largest players in inflight services industry, enabling global expansion through access to LSG Group's global network. Began with Eurowings implementation and evolved into a mutually beneficial long-term partnership. Since 2023, Retail inMotion communicates for Retail inMotion as part of the LSG Group.
• LSG Group (Eurowings)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Initial partnership with LSG Group on implementation of global onboard retail technology solution for Eurowings, marking the start of a significant long-term relationship.
• BluefincoreTechnology or IntegrationP2PE (Point-to-Point Encryption) integration partner supporting Retail inMotion's PCI DSS Level 1 payment security standard. Bluefin provides the encryption technology for secure payment card processing at merchant POS terminals.
• shareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with share (food donation initiative) and Eurowings to donate half a million portions of food in 10 days for World Food Day 2019.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Avolta (formerly Dufry): World's largest travel retail operator (airport duty-free). Overlaps with Retail inMotion's duty-free product distribution and boutique program on the product/inventory side, though its primary channel is airport-based rather than onboard.
• Panasonic Avionics: Broad IFE/connectivity incumbent whose seatback and wireless platforms increasingly embed retail and payment workflows, overlapping with Vector's passenger-facing (Pre-Order, Order2Seat, Digital Menu Card) modules.
• Gebr. Heinemann: Major European travel-retail and duty-free wholesaler with significant onboard/inflight retail programs. Comparable on the product procurement and supply-chain layer that Retail inMotion delivers as part of its 360 Capabilities.
• SSP Group: Global food travel operator in airports and travel hubs; provides competing onboard and travel-retail food & beverage programs comparable to Retail inMotion's F&B and boutique product services. Former employer of newly appointed CCO Fi Logan-Wyeth.
• gategroup: Largest global in-flight services consolidator (catering, retail, hospitality) and former parent of LSG Group. Provides competing end-to-end onboard retail solutions to the same airline customer base; former employer of Retail inMotion's newly appointed COO.
• LSG Group: Global in-flight services and onboard retail provider with overlapping capabilities to Retail inMotion. Simultaneously a core long-term strategic partner (communications representation since 2023) and a competitor in the broader onboard retail space.
• Thales (InFlyt Experience): Major avionics and in-flight entertainment vendor whose seatback and connectivity platforms increasingly incorporate onboard retail commerce functionality, similar to where Retail inMotion's Vector platform is heading.

Emerging players

• AirFi: Specialist in onboard wireless networks and portable entertainment/retail platforms for airlines and rail operators. Competes with Retail inMotion's WiFi-Box and Order2Seat passenger engagement modules in the lower-cost / quick-deploy end of the market.
• GuestLogix (now part of Plusgrade): Historically a direct competitor in onboard retail technology and payment processing for airlines. Continues to operate in adjacent ancillary revenue optimization for travel and is comparable on the payment and POS-integration layer.

Direct peers

• Immfly: Direct competitor providing digital onboard retail and entertainment platforms for airlines. Competes head-to-head with Retail inMotion's Vector platform for the same airline digital retail RFPs in Europe and globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/RetailinMotion
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RetailinMotion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/retail-in-motion
• Instagraminstagram.com/retail__inmotion

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Retail inMotion