Today, JR/Duty Free has unveiled new walk-through shops at Brisbane Airport’s A$45m ($42m) International Terminal after winning its 7-year contract last year.

 

Richardson was awarded the new contract in a competitive tender last year, beating four other duty free and travel retailers, including long-time incumbent Nuance, bringing the number of airport operations it now holds in Australia to four.

 

These include Brisbane, Darwin, Cairns and Perth. [It is also expected to compete strongly for both Sydney and Auckland–Ed. This December, the retailer is also expected to open a 143sq m JR/Watch Co. luxury watch boutique which it says ‘will offer a range of luxury watches as competitive as any major airport globally’].

 

JR/Duty Free says the changeover from the previous concessionaire took place overnight, with the very first customers today offered complimentary Champagne to celebrate the first day’s trading at what the retailer describes as the cornerstone of Brisbane’s new International Terminal redevelopment which is expected to be complete by July 2015.

 

 

The new departure walk-through store.

 

 

‘IMPROVED AND PREMIUM EXPERIENCE…’

The retailer’s stores now occupy 1600sq m in the Departures Zone and 800 in Arrivals, ‘offering an improved and premium duty free shopping experience’, according to the company.

 

Since the selection of JR/Duty Free by Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC), both partners have worked closely to bring about their combined vision of a world-class duty free shopping precinct.

 

BAC’s General Manager Airline and Retail Management, Andrew Brodie, said: “We’re excited to have JR/Duty Free on board as we move towards creating a truly premium offering and memorable, world class and uniquely Brisbane, Queensland experience for travellers at Brisbane Airport.

 

“JR/Duty Free has an incredibly strong track record of delivering high quality Duty Free concessions at airports around the globe and it only seems fitting that this premium shopping experience contributes to our premium redevelopment of the International Terminal.”

 

 

Left to right: Garry Stock – JR/Duty Free Chairman, Andrew Brodie General Manager Airline and Retail Management BAC, Toby Innes Head of Retail and Commercial BAC, Evelyn Danos – JR/Duty Free Group Chair and Milton Lasnitzki – JR/Duty Free Group CEO.

 

 

BACK TO ITS ROOTS…

In a statement, Milton Lasnitzki, JR/Duty Free CEO, said: “We are very excited to be the duty free operator at Brisbane Airport from 1 September.

 

“For us this is déjà vu since it was at Brisbane Airport in 1972, under the leadership of our founder, the late Mr David Mandie AM, OBE, (universally recognised as the pioneer of duty free in Australia), that the James Richardson Group duty free business commenced.  He would have been thrilled to see that we are once again back to where it all began 42 years ago.”

 

 

The JR/Duty Free Arrivals shop team who make it all happen.