IRAN. Gebr Heinemann-controlled Unifree has landed the duty free contract at the new Tehran Iman Khomeini airport terminal in a joint venture with airport construction company TAV. Business commences next month.
The joint venture, trading as RTU, already operates the duty free stores at Istanbul Ataturk International airport. RTU will sell a wide range of traditional duty free items (excluding liquor, banned in Iran), gifts, souvenirs and destination items.
Gebr Heinemann co-owner Claus Heinemann told The Moodie Report: “It’s a real challenge to work there and we see a very good potential.”
He added: “Our Turkish partners are very flexible and very fast and we will have the shops ready and the merchandise there by February 1.”
Unifree will operate a 300sq m (3,228sq ft) duty free shop, featuring tobacco, perfumes and cosmetics and a 140sq m international accessories and fashion store. It will also feature three 140sq m (1,506sq ft) stores dedicated to Persian items: a delicatessen featuring Iranian caviar, a Persian carpet store and an outlet offering Persian souvenirs.
The new terminal (pictured) is part of an ambitious airport expansion programme by the Civil Aviation Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Initial departing traffic is estimated at between 1.5 million and 1.8 million passengers a year. But capacity for the whole airport will eventually rise to 6 million and then 15 million passengers a year as new terminal areas are opened in phases.
Iran is considered to have tremendous potential in tourism and travel retail terms. Its people are highly brand-conscious and there is a huge annual influx of overseas-domiciled Iranians who visit friends and family from countries such as the UAE, US, Germany and the UK. The Iranian authorities are also mounting a strong tourism drive, focusing on the magnificent and historic attractions of cities such as Isfahan.
Iran has opened up its relationships with the west dramatically in recent years under the leadership of reformist President Mohammad Khatami.
