LATIN AMERICA. The new owners of Latin American travel retailer Duty Free LATAM, Ricard Guasch and Alessandro Battellino, have expressed their ambitions to expand the business, with initial plans for a store to open soon at Maiquetia Simón Bolívar Airport in Caracas, Venezuela. Duty Free LATAM currently has operations in Chile, Peru and Colombia.
The partners recently acquired Duty Free LATAM from previous owner Marcos Encalada through their joint company Giromondo, an FMCG company with business in the US, Chile and Venezuela. They said they aim to “bring fresh energy and strategic direction” to the business.
Ricard Guasch has a travel retail background with senior roles previously at JTI and Montblanc. Battellino has experience in wealth management with JP Morgan and Santander and is currently managing several investments in Venezuela.
Duty Free LATAM, the partners said, has built a reputation for offering a wide range of premium products to travellers, from luxury goods to everyday essentials. As the new owners, Guasch and Battellino said they aim to leverage their industry experience to elevate the company’s market presence and drive regional expansion.
They noted that their primary focus is on “boosting the business and expanding its footprint within the Latin American market”, offering an enhanced shopping experience, optimising their operations and exploring new market opportunities.
They said the opening at Maiquetia Airport, under the Dôme Duty Free name, will solidify Duty Free LATAM’s presence in the regional travel retail sector. The store itself will be strategically located next to Carolina Herrera and in front of Hugo Boss, they added.
A key goal is to establish Giromondo and Duty Free LATAM “not only as a leading retailer in Latin America but also as a benchmark for excellence in customer service and product variety”, they said.
With expansion planned, the travel retailer is set to embark on “a new chapter of growth and success, reinforcing its position as a top destination for travellers seeking the best in duty-free shopping”, they added. ✈
