Heinemann Tax & Duty Free officially launched its 8,000sq m retail emporium at Sydney Airport yesterday.
Some 200 guests including suppliers, partners and employees thronged the new fashion precinct in the early afternoon to celebrate the launch.
Cutting the ribbon to open the store as ticker tape rains down (from left): Heinemann Australia Managing Director Constantin Wiesmann, Sydney Airport Managing Director Kerrie Mather and Heinemann Asia Pacific CEO Max Heinemann |
A dazzling cocktail party yesterday evening, in a renovated cargo hall overlooking Sydney Harbour and the iconic Opera House, capped off the celebrations.
Gebr Heinemann Owners Claus Heinemann and Gunnar Heinemann, and Directors Kay Spanger and Raoul Spanger, were in attendance for the day.
The launch of the Departures store – billed as the largest airport duty free in the world – represents the culmination of works dating from when Gebr Heinemann took up its seven-and-a-half year concession in February 2015.
Claus Heinemann, Constantin Wiesmann, Kerrie Mather, Max Heinemann and Gunnar Heinemann celebrate the official launch |
The event drew a large crowd of guests to the airside fashion zone |
The opening of Jimmy Choo, MCM and Ermenegildo Zegna spaces this week completed the total offer of more than 700 brands.
Heinemann’s concept at Sydney challenges the traditional notion of a store: there is no obvious entrance or exit, and the entire airside environment is organised around the display of brands.
Two proprietary food & beverage offerings, the Bridge Bar and Coast Café and Bar, are integrated into the emporium.
Max Heinemann spoke of the cultural fit between Gebr. Heinemann and Sydney Airport |
Speaking at the launch, Heinemann Asia Pacific CEO Max Heinemann said that although it had taken 135 years for Gebr Heinemann to come to Australia, the company has quickly felt welcome and at home in Sydney.
“The cultural fit between Heinemann and Sydney Airport has worked so well, and we feel we have captured a future vision for duty free in Australia,” he said.
“This is the biggest luxury environment in the Heinemann portfolio, and we want to thank Sydney Airport, our brand partners and our business partners for helping to make it possible.”
Kerrie Mather welcomed the conclusion of the ambitious project |
Sydney Airport Managing Director Kerrie Mather offered her appreciation for the work that Heinemann Tax & Duty Free and the airport commercial team had completed over the past 15 months.
“The results are absolutely stunning, and manage both to bring top international brands to Sydney while reflecting our city, our beaches and our lifestyle,” she said.
“Walking around, you can see how many unique in-store experiences there are for our customers, as well as many first-to-Australia brands.”
Constantin Wiesmann expressed his thanks to the company’s many partners locally and globally |
Heinemann Australia Managing Director Constantin Wiesmann said that coming to Sydney has involved a lot more than construction and project management.
“In the past year we hired 450 new colleagues who every day bring the ideas of Heinemann Tax & Duty Free to life,” he said.
“Our journey has been about partnership, and also about making Heinemann even more global, connected and competitive.”
Two fashion parades were integrated into yesterday’s launch |
Speaking to The Moodie Davitt Report after the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Max Heinemann commented that the large space had permitted new thinking around brand showcasing and retail planning.
“For example we have experience of food & beverage but not in the way we’ve been able to integrate these [outlets] here at Sydney.”
Wiesmann noted that the store strives to balance local and international brands, reflecting both Sydney’s character and its position as a global city. “We have enough space to try out new brands and will continue to innovate,” he said.
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Zegna, MCM and Jimmy Choo boutiques completed the brand portfolio this week | |
The 2,000sq m Arrivals store has also resulted in new brands and increased variety in categories such as electronics and sunglasses.
“In Arrivals we have improved on previous sales results, but we feel that we can do more by making transactions quicker and easier,” Wiesmann said.
Heinemann Tax & Duty Free exceeded its sales targets during the transition phase at Sydney, and reports significant double-digit growth in current per-passenger spend and penetration rates.
Promotional spaces punctuate the central corridor of the emporium |
Technology is a key element in the Sydney Departures emporium |
