PORTUGAL. Today, 1 June, marks the official launch of Portugal Duty Free, a partnership between Vinci Airports group company ANA Aeropuertos de Portugal and Aer Rianta International (ARI).
As reported in February, ANA appointed Aer Rianta International (ARI) as its new joint-venture partner for duty free and duty paid retail concessions across eight airports in Portugal – Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Madeira Islands (Madeira and Porto Santo), and Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada, Santa Maria and Horta).
The contract starts today after what the partners described as “close collaboration and coordination behind the scenes” and “a seamless transition for the local teams”.
During the next 18 months each store will be renovated according to Vinci Airports’ and ARI’s Sense-of-Place strategy. Each store will have an individually crafted identity, reflective of the local landscape and culture, to create “bespoke experiences” for passengers, said the partners. These will showcase the best of local product and encapsulate the essence of Portugalidade, they added.
To mark the beginning of the new partnership, celebrations at Lisbon Airport’s Lisbon Duty Free shops today featured music, master mixologists, artisan Santini ice-cream and other surprises.
ANA Chief Executive Officer Thierry Ligonnière commented: “ANA/Vinci Airports is working to bring new world-class experiences to our passengers as part of our ‘Positive Mobility’ commitment. Our partnership with ARI will allow creating a bespoke Sense of Place and an unrivalled shopping experience, complementing the best of Portugal with leading international brands and travel retail exclusives with great value for our customers. We look forward to unveiling these to our passengers over the coming months.”
ARI Chief Executive Officer Ray Hernan said: “After months of careful planning and collaboration across the business, we are delighted to launch our operations here in Portugal. I would like to personally thank the collective team who have worked tirelessly to deliver this launch on time and to the high standards we pride ourselves on at ARI, and to thank our brand partners for embracing this new opportunity with us.
“ARI and ANA are closely aligned on our values and our customer-centric approach, and together we plan to ignite the joy of travel retail for passengers with a unique retail proposition at each location. We have a robust implementation plan underway and look forward to bringing these exciting concepts to life over the coming 18 months.”
Hernan told The Moodie Davitt Report: “I am immensely proud to see Portugal Duty Free open its doors today. The ARI team has worked tirelessly to make this a reality and have really created something special in a very short space of time since the partnership with ANA was announced in February of this year. Every individual team member has played their part, no stone has been left unturned. This is a really momentous day for ARI and for Portugal Duty Free.
“Over the coming 18 months, customers can expect to see brand new, innovative store concepts brought to life, delivering a true Sense of Place for passengers at each location – such as the Port Cellar and Sabores de Portugal. Each of our stores carries its own unique identity to deliver an exceptional experience to each customer.
“As an international business we work with partners from all around the globe, and we are delighted to have found another truly collaborative partner in ANA.”
Click on this recent video for details of how ARI is bringing the new store environments to life (Video: The Design Solution)
The concession incorporates over 34 commercial spaces, including main duty free shops, satellite stores and fashion & beauty stores, across space of around 9,500sq m. UK-based The Design Solution provided design services for ARI.
*Click here for a previous interview with Ray Hernan about the contract win. Click here for the design view from The Design Solution.
