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Brave new world: Gunnar Heinemann (right) and Raoul Spanger unveil a brand new look for Heinemann’s stores |
GERMANY. Gebr Heinemann has unveiled a new retail brand identity, Heinemann Duty Free, which will be launched at the company’s 1,400sq m walk-through store at Hamburg Airport Plaza in December. The new identity will be rolled out to other stores in Germany and Austria, and then to other countries worldwide in the years ahead.
The new brand name and striking blue, red and silver colours update the company’s current Travel Value & Duty Free fascia for its stores.
“Our aim is to give the duty free business a face,” said company Co-Owner Gunnar Heinemann. “We want customers to make a conscious choice in favour of Heinemann and feel loyal to the brand. The new Airport Plaza is the ideal place to launch our new brand. Hamburg is where we are based; it’s perfect.”
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First look: The Heinemann Duty Free name will make its debut at Hamburg Airport Plaza in December |
The new flagship store at Hamburg Airport’s new shopping Plaza will be four times the size of the current Hamburg Airport outlet it operates. The company said it would “combine luxury shopping with entertainment” and offer “an exciting world of adventure in which there will always be something new to discover”.
“Heinemann will serve as an international trend scout for travellers,” said Heinemann Board Member Raoul Spanger. “We will seek out exclusive new products worldwide and present them here on our stages at Hamburg Airport. Because we are active worldwide and have built a highly efficient logistics chain, we can always be on the pulse of the times with our promotions.”
High-gloss shelving has been designed for the core assortment, and quality floor coverings will mark out the spacious sales area, said the retailer. Luxury brands such as Hermès and Bvlgari will be present in their own distinctive design.
“We have decided to bring together all the assortments in Heinemann Duty Free,” explained Spanger. “Customers will therefore now be able to find everything under one roof. They are set to encounter a shop unlike any they will ever have seen at an airport before. We are delighted to be able to stage this world premiere at our home airport.”
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The family-owned retailer will operate around 2,400sq m of space at the new-look Hamburg Airport |
The walk-through concept means passengers can save time and make their purchases directly on the way to the gate. “The airport and airlines want passengers to be able to get from their car into the plane in 30 minutes,” said Spanger. “We will be helping to make that happen: when you shop with us, the checkout process will last just 30 seconds, and thanks to our walk-through concept, passengers will move directly from the shop onto the passenger pier.”
Pre-order will be another key service feature, said the company. “Thanks to pre-ordering, passengers will be able to place their orders even before they set out on their trip, by phone or online,” it said. “Their purchases will then be there for them at the service counter in the shop, ready to be picked up almost on a walk-by basis. In addition, passengers will be kept informed directly in the shop about departure times and the number of minutes needed to walk to the gates. It means that every traveller will know how long they have for their shopping expedition.”
Heinemann’s pricing message has been reinforced by independent expert TÜV Rheinland, which regularly checks the company’s airport store prices. The company said that 90% of products at Heinemann stores offer better prices than domestic outlets or online shops – in some cases up to 30% better.
The retailer will also open several other stores in the new Airport Plaza. A store named 1040 Beauty Project, in the public area in Arrivals, will offer beauty items and accessories. 1040 was the year in which the legendary French city of perfume, Grasse, was officially founded. The store will combine baroque elements with modern design.
Next door Heinemann will open a 180sq m boutique under licence for the fashion label Esprit, and it will also open boutiques for Hugo Boss and Montblanc. In total the company will operate in around 2,400sq m of space.
With the opening of the Airport Plaza 50 new jobs will be created in Hamburg. The company will then employ a total of 230 people at the airport, as well as a further 850 at headquarters in HafenCity and at the logistics centre in Hamburg-Allermöhe. Worldwide Heinemann employs 4,200 staff. The Hamburg-based family firm supplies over 1,000 customers in 72 countries and operates 228 Travel Value & Duty Free Shops, branded boutiques run under licence and its own specialist stores at 47 international airports in 18 countries.
*In related news, Marché International is to operate a 1,200sq m food & beverage zone at Hamburg Airport Plaza. Click here for our story, which features in Food & Beverage News.
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