London Gatwick Airport to add up to 26 stores in South Terminal redevelopment : Moodie Davitt Report

UK. London Gatwick Airport is to add up to 26 stores by the end of 2013 as part of its redevelopment of the South Terminal International Departures Lounge. The airport will add 1,850sq m of retail space, with units ranging from around 28sq m to an anchor department store of close to 560sq m.

Gatwick Head of Retail Spencer Sheen told The Moodie Report that the airport was looking to bring in brands and retailers through a combination of tenders and direct negotiations. He said that discussions were already in progress with some prospective tenants, some of which are already present at the airport.

The redevelopment of the South Terminal was enabled by the relocation of the old security hall, allowing World Duty Free Group to move to a new walk-through location

Retailers will also be expected to bring something new and different to the table, Sheen said, in line with similar work undertaken with WHSmith earlier this year, which resulted in the creation of London News Company – a new, Gatwick-specific convenience retail brand.

The first half of the new area will be completed by June next year, with the remaining space to be completed by the end of the year. Sheen said that the new space would allow the airport to consider zoned retail areas, with the new space aiming for a more premium retail offering than the current South Terminal portfolio.

The airport will be seeking innovation from retailers, as it did with WHSmith in the development of Gatwick-specific convenience brand London News Company

The redevelopment follows the relocation of the South Terminal security area and the subsequent relocation of World Duty Free Group store from the back of the lounge to a walk-through area at the entrance to the lounge, as reported previously.

The escalators to the upper level food & beverage and seating areas will be moved as part of the modernisation, and orientation zones on the ground floor will be established. The new design will also make greater use of natural light to create a more open environment, said Sheen.

Gatwick South Terminal served 9.02 million departing passengers in 2011, with numbers down by around -9% so far in 2012.

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