USA. DFS Group has completed a trio of US airport renovations with a vibrant makeover of its San Francisco International Airport (SFO). This follows the successful upgrades of its concessions at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport and the new Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
“With the concession upgrades at SFO, we are excited to be announcing the substantial completion of DFS’s 18-month long renovation across our North American retail operations,” said DFS Managing Director, North America Polly Nelson (look out for an interview with Ms Nelson in the September issue of The Moodie Report Print Edition, out next week to coincide with The Trinity Forum 2014 in Taipei).
“As the sole duty free operator at SFO, our vision is to meet the changing needs of travellers by elevating the customer experience, and delivering on our promise to create an unforgettable, delightful and memorable experience that captures the spirit and culture unique to San Francisco,” she added.
At SFO, DFS is the sole duty free operator and master concessionaire in the International Terminal, managing almost 58,000sq ft of concession space, with a broad portfolio of luxury brands and products across core categories including beauty & fragrances, and watches & jewellery. DFS also offers local souvenirs and gifts, including the world-famous Ghirardelli chocolates, Thatcher’s Gourmet Popcorn and Napa Soap’s line of luxurious soap products handmade in the Napa Valley.
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Left: DFS Managing Director, North America Polly Nelson; Right: (L-R) DFS Senior Vice President, Organisational Change Management Mike Osorio; DFS San Francisco Airport General Manager June Guzman; San Francisco International Airport Director John L. Martin; DFS Managing Director, North America Polly Nelson; and DFS Group Chairman and CEO Philippe Schaus unveil DFS’s brand new logo at San Francisco International Airport | |
The newly renovated concessions at SFO focus on “creating a premium airport retail environment through offering a curated selection of products and quality services and delivering a seamless shopping experience”, according to the travel retailer.
New stores opened include boutiques for Gucci, Coach, Burberry and Hermés. DFS has also introduced prestige beauty brand SK-II, jewellery and watches brand Chopard, and a new upmarket wine store featuring local California wine, including Screaming Eagle, Duckhorn, Diamond Creek, Hanzell, Stag’s Leap, and Silver Oak.
The renovation also marks the debut of DFS’s Sweetravels confectionery concept store. A semantic marriage of the core DFS concepts of “˜sweets’ and “˜travel’, the concept features a private San Francisco-themed Sweetravels label, offering various chocolate, cookies and candy products.
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(Above and below)) A retail offer transformed at San Francisco International Airport |
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Opened in June, “˜Sweetravels San Francisco’ is customised to reflect the local culture, offering city’s iconic chocolate brand Ghirardelli and other well-known confectionery items such as gummy bears, jelly beans and chocolate-covered Oreos. Framed by a colourful polkadot pattern, Sweetravels presents what DFS describes as a “whimsical” retail environment.
In addition to the upgraded features and new stores at SFO, DFS has also introduced a new logo design featuring San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
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San Francisco International Airport Director John L. Martin said: “San Francisco welcomes nearly 17 million visitors annually and in the last 20 years, has been named 19 times as the number one city to visit in the US by Condé Nast. Most of these visitors pass through our airport, and we are pleased to continue working with DFS as we elevate and develop innovative ways to improve the traveller’s experience at SFO.”
According to the San Francisco Tourism Association (SFTA), San Francisco saw about 400,000 more visitors in 2013, a year-on-year visitor increase of +2.4%. Asia was seen to have represented the second largest overseas visitor market to San Francisco and is growing rapidly. Today, more than half of the revenue generated from DFS’s SFO concessions comes from Asian visitors to the city.
San Francisco Travel Association (SFTA) President and CEO Joe D’Alessandro commented: “Tourism remains a vitally important contributor to San Francisco’s overall growth and development, welcoming nearly 17 million visitors who spent a record-breaking US$9.38 billion last year. DFS’s newly renovated concessions at SFO reflects the city’s objectives of enriching travellers’ shopping experience and enhancing the local economy by positioning San Francisco as a desirable international destination for travellers from across the globe.”
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