Avolta Logo PNG
There is always a brief interval between check-in and boarding, when the pace of travel slows. During these moments, attention shifts from the journey to simple things: having a cup of coffee, grabbing a snack for the trip, or taking a short break. The Avolta logo appears precisely at these points inside the airport, where you can stop for a moment and gather your thoughts. It evokes the feeling of a peaceful break, when the terminal space is no longer perceived as a place of waiting for a flight, but as a comfortable part of the journey, where time passes gently and without unnecessary stress.
Avolta: Brand overview
Avolta traces its history to the company Dufry, founded in 1865 in Basel as Hudson & Visetti. Initially, it was an importer of colonial goods. From the 1960s, the company shifted to the duty-free retail model and opened stores in Swiss airports. In 1980, the organization adopted the name Dufry and focused on duty-free retailing.
In the 1990s, Dufry expanded its presence by opening stores across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. In 2004, the company held an IPO on the Swiss Stock Exchange. In 2014, it acquired Nuance Group for 1.7 billion Swiss francs. In 2015, World Duty Free Group was added to its assets, purchased for 1.6 billion euros. After that, Dufry became the world leader in duty-free retail.
In 2020, a sharp decline in passenger traffic led to a drop in sales. The company closed hundreds of stores and restructured its debt. In 2022, business recovery began. In December of that year, it was announced that Dufry would merge with the Italian company Autogrill, the largest operator of restaurants and cafes for travelers.
In March 2023, the merger was completed, and the company received a new name, Avolta. The new brand symbolized renewal after the crisis. The combined entity included 5,000 retail outlets in 1,000 locations worldwide. The headquarters remained in Basel.
In 2023–2024, Avolta integrated the Dufry and Autogrill businesses and unified management and logistics. In 2024, the company invested in digitalization. Pre-ordering of goods, contactless payments, and personalized services for travelers were introduced.
Avolta maintains its position as the largest global operator in travel retail and food & beverage. Its annual revenue exceeds 12 billion Swiss francs. The company serves millions of travelers in airports, train stations, and on cruise ships.
Meaning and History
What is Avolta?
A Swiss corporation that holds leading positions in global retail and catering for travelers. The network includes about 5500 stores and cafes, with 82% of sales coming from airports. The company combines duty-free and food service segments, offering cosmetics, alcohol, tobacco, accessories, electronics, and food. It manages the brands Hudson, World Duty Free, Nuance Group, Regstaer, and Folli Follie. Growth has been driven by mergers and acquisitions, while catering and food remain the main sources of income. The Benetton and Rupert families, Advent International, Qatar Holding, Alibaba Group, and the Norwegian Pension Fund hold the controlling stake.
2023 – today
Avolta was formed following the merger of two major players in the travel retail sector: Dufry and Autogrill. The new name and updated brand identity were unveiled at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, with CEO Xavier Rossinyol personally presenting the new brand. The name Avolta itself emerged as a synthesis of the business’s global reach, air travel, and energy. On the one hand, the root “vol” evokes the Latin word meaning “to fly.” On the other hand, it reads as “volt,” a concept from the energy world, which management interprets as a symbol of the dawn of a new stage of development.
The Wolff Olins agency was responsible for the brand’s design and logo, including the development of a special typeface called Avolta Display. The logo is rendered in a single rich, bright purple. On the left side of the composition is an abstract symbol. It consists of five vertical elements, the central one being a straight, thick line, while the side elements form symmetrical, smooth, curved lines.
Together, they form an oval shape, evoking associations with a simplified three-dimensional sphere divided into longitudinal sectors or with a globe marked with lines of longitude.
To the right of the symbol is the company name. The inscription uses the concise, sans-serif Avolta Display font, which is also similar in style to Google Sans or Inter Semibold. The first letter of the name is capitalized, while all others are lowercase.
Through color, name, and logo structure, the entire brand identity unites the themes of travel, global scale, and renewed business energy into a single image.
