Nice Côte d’Azur Airport today completes the commercial transformation of Terminal 1, in the latest phase of a €40 million investment that will overhaul both T1 and T2 by mid-2017.
Today’s opening of a new Hermès boutique rounds off the T1 project as the airport aims to create “the most surprising commercial environment at a European airport” at France’s second largest airport.
Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur Group Commercial Business Director Filip Soete invited media to a press lunch at Raffles Hotel in Singapore on Wednesday to discuss the project. He noted how vital non-aeronautical revenues had become for the company. “These represent 40% of our revenues but almost all of our [profit] margin,” he said. “The goal here is to improve the passenger experience, maximise non-aeronautical incomes and improve terminal operations.”
At the core of the new-look T1 is Aelia Duty Free’s walk-through store in much-enhanced space |
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Key milestones in T1 to date have included the opening of the new landside F&B offer in April and May 2015, the new Aelia Duty Free walk-through in October and the completion of the retail offer, principally through Lagardère Travel Retail and Dufry, this month.
An important member of the project team was The Design Solution, which was involved in the commercial planning and design.
Nice Airport’s Filip Soete outlines the project at a press lunch on Wednesday in Singapore’s Raffles Hotel; he is pictured centre with (l-r) Frontier’s Colette Doyle, TRB’s Kevin Rozario, DFNI’s Kapila Gohel and The Moodie Davitt Report’s Dermot Davitt |
In T1, some 10,900sq m of space has been rebuilt or newly created. This includes a +160% increase in retail space, including a doubling of duty free to over 1,000sq m, and a +168% leap in dining space to 1,340sq m.
In T2, commercial space will also double to 3,322sq m by next year, with an +83% rise in duty free area to 819sq m and F&B more than doubling to 1,156sq m.
Local flavour: New concepts that showcase the French Riviera and Provence region include (from top) Saveurs de Provence, Fragonard, L’Occitane, So Nice and Riviera Chic |
In both terminals, space for lounges, security and seating has also been dramatically enhanced.
The T1 space was also upgraded with a 600sq m extension to the non-Schengen zone in January.
Among the highlights, noted Soete, are the “next generation” Aelia Duty Free store and offer, as well as a strong Sense of Place introduced across categories, with Riviera and French “essentials” core features of the new-look retail mix.
Among these are gastronomy store Saveurs de Provence offering locally made goods as well as family-owned Fragonard in its first mono-brand airport store anywhere.
L’Occitane and So Nice, both opened last month, also feature among the ‘Souvenirs Chics’ category representing local and regional names.
A lean towards luxury: Fashion & accessories play a greater role in the mix than before in T1, with recent openings including Max Mara, Longchamp and The Fashion Place |
The opening of a Riviera Chic store brings together a mix of well-known and new names from the region and internationally, featuring bathing suits, beach clothing, sandals, sunglasses and jewellery.
Among the brands are Eres, Vilebrequin, Havaianas, Banana Moon, Michael Kors and Tom Ford, alongside local names Gas, Carioca and Espadrille 1789 Cala.
There is also a strong fashion & accessories offer with recent openings including The Fashion Place, Max Mara and Longchamp, while Baccarat has unveiled its first airport mono-brand store, featuring jewellery as well as its signature glassware.
Hour Passion, Baccarat (an airport first as a stand-alone store) and Hermès add to the upscale look in T1 |
Versace and watch specialist Hour Passion have just opened this month, followed by Hermès (in is second airport store), as noted, which completes the retail range.
Among the other recent openings in other categories include FNAAC in technology and Relay’s new look in travel essentials (in the non-Schengen zone).
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The diverse food & beverage offer includes Joe & The Juice, TRIB’s, La Tarte Tropézienne, Pret A Manger, Chez Pipo, Pan Garni, Starbucks and La Plage par Thierry Marx | |
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Food & beverage also houses some airport firsts and many regional names. Joe & The Juice, opened last year, makes its southern European debut and UK brand Pret A Manger is another airport first in France.
Brands that aim to evoke a sense of the Riviera include La Tarte Tropézienne, well-known local name Chez Pipo and Pan Garni. La Place par Thierry Marx, a partnership with the famous chef of the same name, “brings the beach to Nice Airport” said Soete.
He added: “This was a huge project for us and has already transformed the passenger perception of Nice Airport. We have had wonderful support from our concession and brand partners who saw our vision for the terminals. Our goal is to drive an increase in commercial sales of +40% over the five years.”
*We’ll bring you more comment from Nice Airport on this major development very soon.
The project in numbers: How T1 has been transformed (above) and the impact on Terminal 2 (below) |
