Exclusive: Schiphol Group to issue major RFP for airside travel essentials contract

NETHERLANDS. Royal Schiphol Group will this week issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for its airside travel essentials and convenience business at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The Moodie Davitt Report is partnering with the airport company to communicate the opportunity.

The concession will span ten locations and 1,400sq m of space across all Schiphol major lounges and piers, with one partner to be selected for an exclusive contract.

Crucially, the current fragmented convenience business – split across several existing partners and multiple sites of varying sizes and category mixes – will be consolidated over several phases into two types of location.

The first of these comprise three large 150-200sq m spaces sited in the decompression spaces after security, across six categories including drinks & snacks, fresh food and coffee, travel essentials and personal care.

Further stores across around 100sq m will be located in the heart of the various departures piers.

Royal Schiphol Group Head of Retail, F&B and Commercial Services Hans de Groot said, “Apart from duty free, convenience is the absolutely key retail format within airports, but one we have addressed in quite a scattered way until now.

“You can find many categories split across several concessionaires and store formats, which creates a relatively high number of speciality stores. We want a clear convenience format. If we know that passengers tend to visit 1.2 stores per visit on average, we require more concepts to come under one roof. Where we can we’ll move towards bigger spaces that have more impact.”

“We are taking a big strategic step with this tender. Just as we took the approach with duty free [managed under a joint venture between Schiphol Group and Lagardere Travel Retail], so we want to move to a convenience experience that is world class at Schiphol.”

Business Manager Retail Airside Daphne Rehm added, “We want a retail offer that is logical and useful for travellers, where they know what they can expect, not for example expecting them to venture into a souvenir store to find a bottle of water. It’s a straightforward step toward a more relevant and efficient passenger experience.”

Building on how the channel can maintain and grow relevance, Rehm noted some key trends that inform Schiphol’s approach to the tender.

“Books represent a declining market as a whole, but in airports the demand for books and magazines is still super high. We are looking to maintain that category especially in the decompression stores. Books and magazines remain part of the holiday for many, something to read on the plane or at the destination. We want the category to be presented in a way that offers easy navigation and inspiration.”

“On the food side people are looking for healthier options and more variety, whether that is salad bowls, sushi or falafel, with snacking options such as high protein options or nuts.

“Pharmacy and personal care items are also something we would like to see better represented. Passengers should find all of these essentials under one roof. We have been pretty prescriptive in everything that we are looking and we are excited to see what the bidding parties bring too. They have great expertise.”

On retail branding, Schiphol Group said it would expect to rely on strong brands that leading players could introduce and adapt to the Schiphol market, though developing a new, bespoke brand for the essentials channel is also an option.

On contract type, Schiphol Group confirmed the business will be managed as a concession, and not as a JV as with duty free.

Summing up the goals for Schiphol Airport, de Groot said, “First, we want to lift the overall quality perception of the airport, so every new opening should reflect and enhance that aim. Improving our quality of offer and the perception of that quality is essential.

“Then, convenience retail needs to be convenient. As a shopper you need to be able to quickly see what is on offer and as a retailer you need the ability to close your sale within a minute or even 30 seconds. That means having a good mix of technology and the right people in the right place to explain the offer.”

He added that category management matters is key, with the right assortments and especially the ‘blockbuster items’ continuously on offer.

Operational excellence is another core element Schiphol Group will watch for. De Groot said, “Any product in a convenience store naturally has a high rotation, so when you sell a lot, you need to replenish a lot. The operator must be able to do that. Even though there are a lot of transactions, the store needs to always look well.

“Things have changed. In food for example, we have gone far beyond basic sandwiches to more diverse, varied and healthy eating. That also offers an opportunity to positively surprise people.

“And you have to do that also with value. Price perception is vital in convenience and is led by high rotating items, because people buy a lot of them, they know their pricing and that influences their perception of the whole shopping offer.

“We see this RFP as an opportunity to steer price perception in a positive way by offering our blockbuster items at good prices.”

Tender documents will be released this week, with time allotted for bidder questions and terminal tours, and a submission deadline falling in the third week of June. Following a further phase, an award is anticipated in November, with the contract to begin in May 2027. Completion of the upgrades to all stores is anticipated by late 2028. ✈