Nuance and Hellenic create joint venture for Olympics

SWITZERLAND. The Nuance Group is teaming up with Concepts Sports International (CSI) and Hellenic Distributions in a joint venture to operate about 100 venue stores during the upcoming Athens 2004 Olympic Games. The event, which will start on 13 August, will stretch over 17 days, followed by the 12 day Paralympics which begins on 17 September.

Nuance holds a 50.1% share in the joint venture founded especially for the occasion. The agreement includes the operation of retail shops at 41 Olympic events and an additional 20 Paralympics events, as well as mobile shops at the torch relay.

Nuance already operates six “Olympic Stores” at airport and downtown locations in Athens and has now been awarded the license for the retail sale of authentic Athens 2004 merchandise of all the official licensees during the Athens 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Hellenic Distributions, a subsidiary of Hellenic Duty Free Shops, will contribute through its strong logistics network, its own fleet of trucks and warehouse space in central Athens as well as through a large sales staff. CSI, which gained valuable Olympic experience during the Sydney 2000 and Salt Lake City 2002 Games, will provide expertise in event retailing and the necessary infrastructure such as store fittings and tents.

The newly founded joint-venture company will operate a network of some 100 stores within the competition and non-competition venues of the Games (venue stores) as well as an Olympic Superstore, covering a surface of about 3,500 sqm, in the common domain area of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. The stores will provide spectators, athletes and employees of the Games with unique collectors’ items, as well as souvenirs of the Games that will be available only at the venue stores. The Olympic Superstore traditionally becomes one of the sights of the Games, reflecting the visual image of the Games and presenting a series of events.

The Nuance Group ceo Europe Carlo Bernasconi commented: “The Nuance Group can look back on a long and successful history regarding its Olympic involvement. We opened the first Olympic Store in Sydney in 1997. Since then, this successful concept has been introduced in Athens, site of the next Olympic Games, as well as in Geneva, at the home airport of the International Olympic Committee. We have furthermore opened our first store at Turin Airport, the gateway serving the host city of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. The venue stores perfectly complement our Olympic portfolio, and we are thrilled to have been chosen as the retailer who will contribute to the overall experience of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.”

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