ITALY. McArthurGlen Luxury Retail will launch one of the boldest fashion statements seen in airport retail next week when Collezioni is unveiled at Venice Marco Polo Airport.
The 1,400sq m Collezioni offer will feature 21 brands across 1,400sq m of retail space, spread over two levels. The portfolio includes many leading luxury and fashion brands, including Valentino, Brooks Brothers and Loro Piana.
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Collezioni claims a luxury portfolio “that can stand alongside any of the world’s leading retail destinations” |
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Collie and Collezioni strive to get the fashion formula right |
The McArthurGlen Group division described next Tuesday’s opening as “pioneering a radical new approach to the presentation of luxury brands in the airport retail setting”.
It noted: “At Venice, Collezioni offers an exciting portfolio of luxury brands that can stand alongside any of the world’s leading retail destinations.”
The Departures level combines a portfolio of contemporary luxury brands such as Bulgari, Ermenegildo Zegna, Ferragamo and Burberry, while the mezzanine level is aimed more towards a younger, fashion-conscious traveller and includes Marlboro Classics, Pal Zileri and Diesel.
Food & beverage is also featured – the upper level offers a Bricco Café and the Pilsner Urquell Bar. This area also hosts the VIP Suite for Alitalia and the Marco Polo Executive Lounge.
McArthurGlen Luxury Retail has been partnered in its airport debut by SAVE SpA, the management company of Marco Polo Airport. S
AVE is Italy’s third-largest airport operator (including traffic at Treviso Airport, which also serves Venice) and one of the fastest growing. It saw traffic growth of almost +12.3% last year to reach over 8 million passengers.
The inaugural opening of Collezioni has been created in collaboration with Altagamma, the Italian luxury brands association.
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The mezzanine level targets the younger, fashion-conscious traveller with brands such as Diesel |
The McArthurGlen Group Chairman and Founder J W Kaempfer said he regards Collezioni as a natural expansion of the company’s operations, combining its experience of tourism footfall with the synergies McArthurGlen has developed with its brand partners over the past 13 years.
He commented: “This is an exciting new illustration of the quality of the relationship we share with these remarkable brands. With Collezioni, we are delivering a unique experience for the customer and creating exciting new opportunities for McArthurGlen and our brand partners in high-potential markets across the world.
“Collezioni is the first demonstration of how McArthurGlen has the capabilities to partner the world’s leading brands in developing new opportunities in full-price retailing, taking us on a shared journey into new locations and new channels.”
“A LATTER-DAY SAMARKAND” – BRIAN COLLIE
McArthurGlen said it is committed to bringing its brand partners a new retail channel through airports, and overcoming the barriers that have previously limited the presence of such luxury fashion brands to a few major airports.
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“McArthurGlen acts as the conduit that brings the airport and the brands together“ |
Brian Collie Chairman McArthurGlen Luxury Retail |
Key to that strategy was the involvement of former BAA Group Retail Director Brian Collie as Chairman of McArthurGlen Luxury Retail.
Collie said that Venice will act as a showcase for the potential of the concept. “This beautiful city has always had an influence far beyond its scale and now, through Collezioni, Marco Polo Airport is again attracting merchants and travellers to this latter-day Samarkand by delivering a luxury retail experience to match the world’s greatest airports,” he commented.
He said that McArthurGlen’s skills and the exceptional quality of its relationship with brands enables the division to offer a “unique partnership proposition” for growing airports. “We make it easier for them to adopt new retail strategies by offering their passengers an amazing new retail experience and providing the airport with a vital new approach to maximising its revenue,” he said.
He added: “The core beauty of the Collezioni concept is that it enables airports to fully utilize both the exceptional skills offered by McArthurGlen and the global appeal of the world’s top brands, all within a clear, effective package that is tailored to their specific needs. In this way, McArthurGlen acts as the conduit that brings the airport and the brands together in a concept that is not only much easier for them to implement but also offers exceptional opportunities for sales growth to both parties.”
SAVE SpA Chairman Enrico Marchi said: “Retail is an essential part of the passenger experience at Venice Marco Polo Airport and Collezioni addresses the vital goal of creating a strong revenue stream while simultaneously supporting the best possible airport experience we can deliver to our passengers.
“Through Collezioni, Venice now provides the customer with a luxury brand experience that is unmatched by any airport of a similar size.
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Collezioni was examined in-depth in the October/November 2007 issue of The Moodie Report Digital Print Edition |
“By doubling our retail space and developing a strong retail gallery, we have responded decisively to the intense pressures on all airports to maximise the return on retail space and to improve customer choice and experience.
“Collezioni is the new jewel in our crown and helps place Venice Marco Polo Airport at the forefront of retail innovation by providing our passengers with an experience unmatched by all but a handful of the world’s elite airports.”
About the McArthurGlen Group
Since introducing outlet retailing to Europe in 1995, McArthurGlen Group has become Europe’s leading developer, owner and manager of designer outlets. Its current portfolio of 16 designer outlet villages across the UK and Europe comprises more than 400,000sq m of retail space, housing over 700 premium brands in more than 1,800 stores.
Visited by over 65 million people in 2007, the portfolio generated nearly €2 billion in retail sales. The group’s strategies for growth will add a further 300,000sq m by 2012, including five new European outlet developments by the end of 2010.
Through its 16 Designer Outlet Centres sited across eight countries, the group also has extensive experience in successfully targeting tourism markets, attracting over 65 million visitors to its locations.
MORE STORIES ON COLLEZIONI
McArthurGlen gets all wired up at luxury conference – 15/11/07
McArthurGlen launches Collezioni, a new fashion concept for travel retail – 07/09/07
