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Setur Duty Free is set to expand its main Arrivals duty free store at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (pictured) |
TURKEY. Setur Duty Free, one of Turkey’s leading travel retailers, is planning a major expansion of Arrivals duty free space at its key airport location, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International, in the coming months. And the retailer, a leading player in the regional border and seaport business, is also set to open its first diplomatic store, in downtown Erbil, Iraq.
In May 2008 the company won the 20-year exclusive concession to manage duty free at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. There, it operates a large 1,968sq m main Departures store, 698sq m of boutique space, plus a last-minute gate store of 60sq m. In Arrivals it operates two units, the main one of 1,171sq m, the other of around 100sq m.
By year-end it will have added around 300sq m to its main Arrivals unit at Sabiha Gökçen by widening the store at either end, and by extending the floor space by around 2m out into the baggage claim area.
This will allow the retailer to better exploit the fragrances & cosmetics business by adding new brands, plus including skincare and make-up gondolas that previously did not feature due to lack of space.
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Tobacco is the leading category across the Setur portfolio, which combines airport, border and seaport stores |
The company also has big ambitions to expand to new markets, and has competed in a number of international tenders over the past two years. Its next venture will be close to home, in neighbouring Iraq.
Setur will open a new downtown diplomatic duty free store in Erbil, of around 500sq m. It will be open by the end of this year, said the company. The store will be located on the site of a new Divan Hotel, one of parent group Koç Holding’s brands.
With a rush of interest among foreign firms in the rebuilding of Iraq, and as overseas missions begin to take their place there, Setur said it could be a healthy addition to its portfolio.
A full, in-depth feature on Setur Duty Free’s activities, and a special market report on Turkey, will appear in The Moodie Report Print Edition for October-November, out soon.
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One of Setur’s seaport operations in Turkey, at the resort of Kusadasi |
