USA. Pioneering industry retailer and wholesaler Fairn & Swanson, and its subsidiary Baja Duty Free, have ceased trading due to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
Oakland, California-based Fairn & Swanson said: “Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, Fairn & Swanson has been closed.”
Baja Duty Free said in a statement: “Unfortunately the COVID-19 situation we are all facing has affected our company drastically. We have made the decision to close all our Baja Duty Free stores, as of Tuesday May 26 2020. We thank all of our customers, staff and suppliers for their loyalty and support through all the years we were in business. You are and will always be part of the Baja Duty Free family.”
Fairn & Swanson filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition on 2 June, reports respected Americas travel retail title Travel Markets Insider (TMI)*. The petition calls for liquidation of the company, so there is no intent to reorganise.
TMI spoke to Nicole Uhlig, daughter of company Founder Wolfgang Uhlig and the second generation to run the company. She said: “[Closing] is so sad for all of us at F&S, Baja and the duty free industry partners that are affected. The times have changed and our family company couldn’t make it through 2020 COVID-19. Wolfgang and his legacy will never be forgotten in the duty free industry.”
Fairn & Swanson began supplying duty free products to marine vessels visiting the Port of San Francisco in 1949, and later became one of the largest wholesale and retail companies in US duty free.
Established in 1989, Baja Duty Free ran duty free stores along the US-Mexico border. Locations included San Ysidro, Tecate, Otay and Calexico, California, as well as Eagle Pass, Laredo and El Paso in Texas.
*Note: Travel Markets Insider is a leading specialist travel retail publication dedicated to the Americas, with which The Moodie Davitt Report has a close, informal working relationship. Owner and Editor Lois Pasternak can be contacted on editor@travelmarketsinsider.net TMI is also a Preferred Media Partner for the Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo. Click here for information and registration.
