CHINA. Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is preparing to launch a new round of tenders for Terminal 2, a major intra-China travel hub serving 50 key cities including Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
“Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is seeking and sincerely invites high-quality brands across sectors to partner with us in setting a new benchmark for premium airport retail,” the company told The Moodie Davitt Report.
The upcoming leasing programme embraces T2’s Luxury Brand Avenue and the departure level’s South Section comprising seven prime units. The tender is expected to begin in Q1 2026. Detailed information on the units is as follows：
In 2024, total passenger throughput at T2 exceeded 37 million, a number expected to surpass 50 million this year. With nearly 70% of travellers being business passengers, Hongqiao Airport is notable for its premium customer profile, the airport company pointed out.
Many are frequent flyers with high purchasing power, forming a solid foundation for the future upgrading of airport commercial offerings, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport added.
Against the backdrop of global economic headwinds, the company said it continues to demonstrate strong commercial resilience and growth potential.
After more than a decade of continuous development and new iterations, T2’s Luxury Brand Avenue has grown from just six brands at its opening in 2010 into a landmark high-end retail cluster, now home to 21 internationally renowned luxury houses, including Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Dior and Gucci.
Among this star-studded line-up, Hermès and Dior will complete major store renovations in the first half of 2026, both unveiling new duplex flagship concepts – Dior next month and Hermès in March
Simultaneously, the north and south sections are undergoing a comprehensive commercial revamp, introducing new-generation lifestyle brands such as Shanghai lifestyle label Tagi, Sanrio (the famed Japanese purveyor of Hello Kitty, My Melody and other characters) and Chinese multi-brand beauty retailer Harmay.
These brands represent innovative formats blending beauty, design and cultural experiences, while also creating immersive retail environments through cross-boundary concepts and trendy IP collaborations, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport said.
This approach meets growing market demand for personalised and experiential consumption, the company noted, highlighting how such diversification further enriches the commercial landscape and injects new vitality into T2’s “fashion-forward” positioning.
Hongqiao Airport has consistently focused on serving business travellers, benchmarking itself against premium downtown shopping centres, the company explained.
Based on deep insights into consumer psychology and evolving needs, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport said it continuously seeks to optimise and upgrade its brand portfolio.
Leveraging a core customer base with strong spending power and willingness, airport retail not only sustains its luxury positioning but also unlocks new commercial potential and value through differentiated brand offerings and premium experiences, the company pointed out.
Rooted in the present, with a vision for the future
In navigating what it termed today’s “complex and volatile market environment”, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport said it is committed not only to “defending its position” but also to innovating flexibly through strategic “additions and subtractions”.
Such an approach involves expanding the retail proposition across luxury, sports, fashion accessories, jewellery & watches and fragrances & cosmetics, as well as trendy IP-driven collectibles.
The result spells a richer, more holistic shopping experience for travellers, the company added. It commented: “In the face of uncertainty, we firmly embrace long-termism – rooted in the present, with a vision for the future.
“We will continue to bring in better brands, broader categories, higher quality and richer experiences.
“Through ongoing commercial innovation and upgrading, we hope to join hands with our brand partners to explore the future and co-create value.” ✈
TENDER ALERTThe Moodie Davitt Report is the industry’s most popular channel for launching commercial proposals and for publishing the results. If you wish to promote an Expression of Interest, Request for Proposals or full tender process for any sector of airport or other travel-related infrastructure revenues, simply email Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com. We have a variety of options that will ensure you reach the widest, most high-quality concessionaire/retailer/operator base in the industry – globally and immediately. The Moodie Davitt Report is the only international business media to cover all airport or other travel-related consumer services, revenue-generating and otherwise. Our reporting includes duty-free and other retail, food & beverage, property, lounges and other hospitality services, art and culture, hotels, car parking, medical facilities, advertising and other related revenue streams. Please send relevant material, including images, to Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com for instant, quality global coverage. |
