NEW CALEDONIA. LS travel retail ASPAC has opened its first core category duty free stores in the Pacific, with the inauguration of two outlets at Noumea Airport.
The stores, a 438sqm Departures shop and a 95sqm Arrivals outlet, increase the size of the airport’s duty free floor space by almost +50%. This follows an extensive refit by LS travel retail, which has a ten-year concession at the gateway to the French territory.
The opening adds to the company’s existing network of luxury and duty free operations in Asia Pacific, which already includes a number of mono-brand and multi-brand luxury and duty free stores such as The Fashion Gallery and “˜So Chocolate’ concepts at Changi Airport and Sydney Airport’s “˜Podium’.
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Pictured left to right: Matt Mercier (CEO, LS travel retail Pacific); Daniel Joli (Store Manager, Aelia Duty Free); Michel Merzeau (Director Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New Caledonia); Emmanuel de Place (COO, LS travel retail ASPAC); Cédric Bontemps (Nouméa Airport Director); Régis Friess (Associate Director, Marlène); and Michael Daly (President Director, Marlène) |
LS travel retail ASPAC COO Emmanuel de Place said: “LS travel retail has a firm resolve to grow our global footprint in duty free. This growth will be built upon our long history and expertise in duty free retailing throughout Europe and by the strength and passion of our dedicated local teams.”
He noted: “Noumea Airport is investing in the long term development of its passenger experience and we’re delighted to be a part of this evolution. It’s a milestone moment for us, marking the first opportunity to bring the well-known Aelia Duty Free brand to the region. The stores will be a great showcase and an opportunity to demonstrate our operational expertise and commitment to the highest standards of customer service”.
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The new stores bring the Aelia brand to the Pacific region for the first time |
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“It’s a milestone moment for us, marking the first opportunity to bring the well-known Aelia Duty Free brand to the region“ |
Emmanuel de Place Chief Operating Officer LS travel Retail ASPAC |
De Place said the depth of this commitment was underlined by Aelia’s ISO 9001 certified training programme called OSCAR. “OSCAR is a unique and well-tested training system that is implemented successfully throughout duty free for LS travel retail,” he said.
“The system covers essential modules, including product knowledge on fashion, sales through management and driving successful sales. It’s an ongoing training program delivered through a systematic, two-fold approach: direct selling skills and brand partner product knowledge.”
De Place acknowledged the importance of forming close partnerships in New Caledonia via collaboration with the airport, a local partner and key stakeholders throughout the design and construction of the stores.
“We also want to thank our local partner Marlène, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New Caledonia and of course, the airport management team for their invaluable support,” he said.
LS travel retail ASPAC CEO for the Pacific, Matt Mercier said: “For us, it’s not enough just to build a nice=looking store. The duty free offer needs to be an extension of the travel experience, integrating seamlessly into the airport environment and encouraging passengers to stop and shop.”
Brand mix is another important element of the company’s strategy, Mercier said. “A key part of our goal to constantly exceed passenger expectations is ensuring we have the right mix of brands.
“New perfume and cosmetics brands introduced such as L’Oréal Paris, The Body Shop and L’Occitane are already selling extremely well, while new fashion and accessories brands Longchamp, Lacoste, Billabong, Swarovski and Swatch are all proving to be very popular with the Noumea passenger.”
Mercier acknowleged the assistance provided by sister company Aelia in creating the right brand mix. “Having the support of our colleagues at Aelia has been an important part of getting the mix right,” he said. “Being able to draw upon their long-term relationships and experience in working with the world’s leading duty free brands is an invaluable benefit to us, as was their help in setting-up the new stores”.
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