GERMANY. Frankfurt Airport Retail (FAR) – the joint venture between Fraport Group and Gebr. Heinemann – has revealed its updated vision for retail across 3,000sq m of duty-free and Travel Value space at the new Frankfurt Airport Terminal 3. The new terminal is inaugurated today (22 April) with flights set to begin on Thursday.
Click here for our comprehensive on-location story, following a preview tour on Monday.
FAR operates a range of shops across the Schengen and Non-Schengen areas. “Our close cooperation with Fraport has been essential in developing retail spaces that enable a seamless customer journey and are fully integrated into Terminal 3, tailored to the needs of Frankfurt’s international passenger profile,” said FAR Managing Director Georg Fuhrmann.
“Today we no longer regard Frankfurt Airport as just a transportation facility that arriving and departing passengers pass through,” said Julia Kranenberg, Fraport Member of the Executive Board responsible for Retail and Real Estate. “Instead, we define it as an environment where people spend time and have unique experiences.
“Our carefully chosen retail mix is an important part of achieving this. Our goal is to actively shape and continually enhance the customer experience at the airport – with unforgettable offerings that inspire and amaze.
“Duty free and Travel Value are of great importance to that approach.”
Marketplace concept
The central marketplace in Terminal 3’s Non-Schengen area is designed to invite travellers to “discover, explore and engage”, said FAR.
Large open layouts, flowing sightlines and a design language inspired by the region surrounding Frankfurt and the river Main create a sense of place while ensuring intuitive orientation within the terminal.
At the heart of the Non-Schengen area, the central Duty Free and Travel Value covers more than 1,700sq m and is complemented by a Pier Shop, monobrand boutiques from Hugo Boss, Polo Ralph Lauren and Montblanc as well as a GateZero Store. The latter is a multichannel hub aimed at a young target audience with a strong, trend-driven assortment of international brands, including Acne Studios, Off-White, Comme de Garcons, Veja and Fugazzi, as well as pre-loved items.
The Schengen area features an additional Travel Value store as well as a Pier Shop.
Core-category store highlights include a strong focus on niche fragrances, regional specialities and exclusive Frankfurt editions.
The LTC Beacon
A defining element of the new retail environment in Terminal 3 is the Liquor, Tobacco & Confectionery (LTC) Beacon – a new cross-category activation concept developed for travel retail and introduced at Frankfurt Airport for the first time.
Positioned at a central point within the Non-Schengen store, the Beacon is designed to act as a traffic-stopping attraction “that draws travellers into the retail space and guides them from first contact to conversion”.
The LED ring encircling the Beacon weighs around 100kg and consists of 132 individual tiles. The concept combines a tasting bar with supplier activation tools, a gifting area as well as tasting and sampling.
The first suppliers represented are Henkell Freixenet with Schloss Johannisberg, Diageo with Johnnie Walker, Godiva and Davidoff Geneva.
“The Beacon focuses on curated sales moments and cross-category upselling, for example by pairing a premium Champagne with the perfectly matched chocolate treat. Liquor, tobacco and confectionery partners activate together within one shared experience and integrated storytelling rather than isolated brand silos,” explained Gebr. Heinemann Director Marketing Sören Borch.
“It is designed not as a temporary promotion, but as a scalable concept that connects experiential attraction with measurable commercial impact.”
The opening of the new retail spaces in Terminal 3 is accompanied by a comprehensive launch campaign with strong local relevance.
Highlights include Frankfurt branded gifts with purchase, exclusive Terminal 3 and Frankfurt-inspired product editions as well as an interactive augmented-reality activation. Via a QR-code based game, travellers can discover Frankfurt landmarks within the shop and receive rewards at checkout. ✈
