US. Travel essentials and convenience brand Hudson, part of Avolta (previously Dufry), has opened six retail stores at Chicago Midway International Airport. The new stores, which include the largest Evolve by Hudson store (4,400sq m) in North America, offer a mix of specialty retail brands, proprietary concepts and local business partnerships.
The stores feature a sports selection targeting Chicago sports fans and a merchandise assortment from local vendors and entrepreneurs such as Beelove, Bitoy’s Sweet Treats, Brown Sugar Bakery and Chicago Mahogany.
The Evolve by Hudson store includes shop-in-shops from Briggs & Riley, Brookstone, Build-A-Bear Workshop and Rituals Cosmetics among others.
These curated stores join some of Hudson’s recently unveiled concepts at Chicago Midway International, including Hudson Nonstop powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. This concept is part of Avolta’s Destination 2027 strategy to ‘make the journey as exciting as the destination for travellers’ by bringing together leading brands, digital technology and an innovative in-store experience.
“We are excited to celebrate our new openings at Chicago Midway International Airport, including our largest Evolve by Hudson store yet,” said Avolta North America Head of Retail Operations Brian Quinn.
“Our new stores present a tremendous opportunity for us to showcase the power of our global brand portfolio and how we’re committed to continuously providing the best shopping experiences for our travellers and partners.”
Midway Partnership, a joint venture comprised of aviation industry leaders – Vantage Airport Group, SSP America and Hudson – is tasked with transforming the dining and shopping options at Chicago Midway International Airport.
Midway Partnership CEO Sammy Patel remarked: “Hudson and its local, minority partners have been true collaborators in delivering our ambitious vision to transform the traveller experience at Chicago Midway.
“Evolve by Hudson is the largest concept nationwide, and a cornerstone of Midway Partnership’s US$75 million transformation of the airport’s eating and shopping experience.
“The several new retail offerings by Hudson are part of our restless efforts to maximise local Chicago-based, minority-owned businesses, and we are doing just that with one of the highest participation levels of minority businesses in the US.”
The new stores are operated in partnership with four Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) partners: Airport Retail Group, BT II, Flying Concessions and North American Concessions.
“I am proud of Midway’s long track record of investing in diverse local businesses, with one of the highest reported ACDBE participation rates in the nation,” said Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee of Chicago Department of Aviation, which owns and operates O’Hare and Midway International Airports.
“This ribbon-cutting completes our ambitious Midway Modernization Program and underscores Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ongoing commitment to supporting our diverse team of airport concessionaires at both airports, representing a key pillar of Chicago’s economy.” ✈
