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Border Shoppers: “A pioneer approach in developing a wonderful interactive and themed duty free store” |
US. Ambitious southern border duty free retailer Border Shoppers is opening its fourth store, this time in El Paso. And it’s promising a wild west theming that will be a tourist attraction in its own right.
The company said its latest store will benefit from all the experience Border Shoppers has gathered in designing, construction and build out since it began operations in 2002.
Because of border crossing numbers and traffic, this store promises to enjoy the highest sales of any of the retailer’s operations. El Paso has a population of 800,000 residents. It neighbours with Juarez, Mexico’s fifth largest city with 1,500,000 residents, said Border Shoppers Managing Director Joseph Ayash.
He told The Moodie Report: “In keeping with the customer mix in Nogales (where the retailer has two stores), this border crossing point enjoys a large population to the north and to the south, as well as very large retirement communities of Americans and Canadians who enjoy phenomenal weather and quality of living. In addition, there is a very large military retiree community with their extended families as well.”
According to official figures, the El Paso-Juarez border crossing has 26 million crossings in vehicles and 9 million pedestrian crossings per annum. The new 3000sq ft store is strategically located in the main street of the main crossing and will offer spirits, wines, tobacco and perfumes, “with the traditional Wild West-atmosphere of Border Shoppers Duty Free”, Ayash said.
The company began operations in 2002, with a 3,000sq ft store in Nogales, in what Ayash describes as “a pioneer approach in developing a wonderful interactive and themed duty free store”.
The original store, reflecting the “Wild West town landscape”, not only excited suppliers but the customers and the town’s people as well, he said. A year later Border Shoppers opened a second 3,000sq ft store, also in Nogales and also with Wild West theming.
A third outlet was opened in 2003 in Columbus, New Mexico. Because of its location and a more limited volume of cross border traffic, Border Shoppers decided to innovate with a new free-standing retail concept. Just as drivers heading south approach the border, they come across the ranch-style store which allows for easy and convenient parking, excellent store access, a self service concept, and quick check out. Border Shoppers says it is the sole duty free retailer in the state of New Mexico.
