NEW ZEALAND. An extensive line-up of ‘affordable luxury’ retailers has been completed in a new shopping precinct at Auckland Airport. Luxury handbag brands Kate Spade and Michael Kors and Italian retailers Furla and Max Mara have each opened their first New Zealand stores in the expanded international departures terminal.
Other major brands to open stores, as part of an expansion which has seen a near doubling in size of the airside retail area, include Coach, Lacoste, Fossil, Montblanc and Boss by Hugo Boss. Several Kiwi brand stores are also featured in the terminal, including the first official All Blacks shop, chocolatier Whittaker’s and outdoor clothing specialist Icebreaker.
Auckland Airport General Manager of Retail Richard Barker, said: “Luxury was a segment that the airport was previously missing, so we carried out consumer research to identify which brands were most in demand and were missing from New Zealand’s shopping arena.
“We deliberately aimed for what is described as ‘affordable luxury’ retailers that had appeal to both Kiwis and and international visitors.”
Barker told The Moodie Davitt Report that two locations for pop-up stores and brand activations have been allocated for the central dwell/retail area of the new terminal.
“The two pop-up stores are circa 40sq m each,” he said. “We currently have a New Zealand men’s fashion brand focusing on business attire, 3 Wise Men, in one of them and we are about to open a children’s clothing store.”
Barker added that the leases for the pop-up stores will typically be for a few months. There is also another location set aside for duty free activations such as liquor or beauty promotions.
About 20 million people went through Auckland Airport last year and this is predicted to grow to 30 million in 2030 and 40 million in 2040.
