FRANCE/UK. Eurotunnel is to call a tender for the duty free business at its French terminal. Eurotunnel manages the Channel Tunnel under a contract until 2086 and is the operator of LeShuttle freight and passenger services between Folkestone, UK and Calais, France.
The terminal is located in Coquelles, around 5km from Calais city centre.
The tender will cover 800sq m of duty free space within the Passenger Terminal building and a separate duty free outlet in the freight terminal, both at Coquelles. It does not include the UK terminal at Folkestone.
Eurotunnel noted that in 2022 its LeShuttle services carried over 8 million passengers and traffic figures are increasing year-on-year.
According to Eurotunnel, the tender will be a competitive process starting with the issue of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) by the end of September. The RFP will be launched in October to qualifying companies.
Eurotunnel expects a closing date for submission of proposals by the beginning of January 2024 and a start of operation in late April 2024.
Eurotunnel Chief Commercial Officer Deborah Merrens said: “The reintroduction of duty free services for passengers travelling to the UK has created a substantial opportunity to redesign engagement with passengers and drive sales growth.
“It is a great opportunity to provide a whole new customer experience through our premises. We are very excited for the future of the business and are looking for a duty free operator to work with us to realise this opportunity.”
As we reported in June 2021, the French government agreed to authorise the return of duty free sales at Eurotunnel’s Coquelles terminal, where a duty paid store is currently operated by Dufry company World Duty Free.
The move mirrored duty free arrangements in place to serve the ferry business, with stores in the ports at Calais and Dunkirk. Eurotunnel operator Getlink had been pushing the government to agree the return of duty free sales via its terminal on the French side after the UK left the EU after a transition period on 1 January.
For further details, and to express your interest, please contact the LeShuttle team on frdutyfreeselection@eurotunnel.com. Eurotunnel will make a presentation at the upcoming TFWA World Conference & Exhibition in Cannes at Auditorium K, Palais des Festivals, on Tuesday 3 October at 3pm. 
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