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CHILE. World Duty Free Group has extended its retail concession at Santiago de Chile Airport until 2022 – a term that will take it through a period of dramatic change if the proposed airport privatisation goes ahead.
According to widespread local media reports, a call for submissions for the management of Santiago Airport is expected soon. The Office of the Comptroller General is said to be considering a 20-year term, with the chosen company expected to update its masterplan every four years for the first 15 years of the contract.
The retailer said that its extended duty free contract must be honoured under a new owner.
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World Duty Free Group International Operations Director Pedro Castro said: “The duty free contract in Santiago is held with the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil; the airport concessionaire gets income from this contract but it has to be respected and cannot be cancelled by them.
“In any case, our relationship with the airport has been very positive and our continuous investment and latest store upgrade programme is testament to this healthy relationship. Traditionally, we have good relationships with airport operators and owners and we are positive that this will be the case with the new owners-to-be.”
World Duty Free Group is in the middle of a significant period of investment at the airport. Last August it opened a completely renovated, 885sq m walk-through store in international Arrivals. A major redevlopment at its Departures outlet will be finished by the third quarter, turning it into a walk-through store for the first time, with 1,600sq m of space.
In March the retailer opened a MAC cosmetics corner store of more than 40sq m in the existing domestic Departures store, which it reported had been “extremely successful” to date. The company also plans to open a new specialist wine concept, named CAVA, and an Express Shop in the international terminal, as well as further refurbishments in the domestic terminal.
