US. Dufry is integrating its US duty free operations, currently operating as part of Region Central America & Caribbean, into its “˜Region North America’ – Hudson Group.
The company said that the move reflects the close cooperation that exists between Dufry units and “will create further synergies in terms of business development”.
This strategic decision is effective immediately. A joint team from Region Central America & Caribbean and Region North America, supported by headquarters co-ordination, will kick off the project to implement the transition of the operations from Region Central America & Caribbean (Region 4) to Region North America (Region 6).
Dufry said that the integration will maximise efficiency in the following areas:
– Business development opportunities in North America (USA and Canada): by jointly running business development for both duty paid and duty free from Region 6, Dufry will be able to take advantage of strong relationships with airports and local partners in more than 70 locations.
– Strengthening existing operations: Current Dufry duty free operations in the US co-exist in the same locations with duty paid operations. “Combining these operations will create opportunities for improved performance,” Dufry said, noting that retail operations’ performance will be maximised by combining duty free and duty paid operational structure and processes in the region.
– The consolidation of existing support structures will also improve support areas such as finance, human resources and information technology.
“In short, Dufry will be able to deliver consistently both duty free and duty paid retail concepts to its competitive advantage in the North American market,” the company said.
The duty free operations in Region North America will be managed by Michael Lembo as Executive Vice-President Duty Free, reporting to the Region 6 Chief Operations Officer and Hudson Group CEO, Joseph Di Domizio.
Lembo joined Dufry in June to head the US Duty Free Business Unit as Deputy Chief Operations Officer. He has a strong track record of management experience in different US retailers such as Macy’s, Dufry said.
