GERMANY. Lagardère Travel Retail has opened ten travel essentials stores in 865sq m of space at the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
The space is split between six brands, combining international concepts such as Relay, Hub Convenience and Lego as well as local brands Look54, Ampelmann and Departure BER. The stores will offer a range of products from food-to-go and convenience to souvenirs and toys.
The company noted that the openings take place “under extremely challenging circumstances due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the new mobility and travel restrictions being put in place in Germany. It will be some time before the airport and their newly revealed retail spaces deliver their full potential to passengers. To ensure the highest possible level of safety and protect both staff and customers, all the hygiene and distancing measures have been enforced.”
The new stores expand the footprint of Lagardère Travel Retail in Germany, which spans ten airports and 39 train stations with more than 120 stores.
Lagardère Travel Retail Germany CEO Jochen Halfmann said: “We are thrilled to be able to take a next step in our development in Germany, in what remains a very challenging environment. The deterioration of the global sanitary situation as well as the new preventive measures being enforced in the country mean the unveiling of our new stores hasn’t been the one we had hoped for.
“However, we are confident that the new Berlin Airport will in the future be one of the three main airports in Germany and so we’re very pleased to be starting this journey with them. We are also further investing into the travel essentials segment because it has shown greater resilience during the crisis, by fulfilling the basic needs of travellers. Despite the difficult circumstances, we remain committed to deliver first-class support and service for our customers.”
Of its three business lines, Lagardère Travel Retail said that travel essentials has demonstrated “the greatest resilience and the fastest recovery rate” amid the crisis. In 2019, travel essentials represented €2.2 billion in sales or 41% of Lagardère Travel Retail’s total.
Lagardère Travel Retail has operated in Germany since 1999, with an offer across travel essentials and food & beverage.
