Copenhagen Airport is revamping a large proportion of its luxury Nytorv area with a significant change in the brand mix to optimise the overall customer experience and reverse a -1% downturn in shopping centre revenue in 2013 which reached DKK 675.9m ($124m).

 

Among the latest signings is Ole Mathiesen Luxury watches, which is expected to open in late summer with brands such as Jaeger Lecoultre, Omega and IWC – not particularly price accessible to most travellers – while Danish hi-fi technology specialist B&O Play also joins the fray.

 

Lise Ryevad (pictured), Director, Airport Service, at CPH comments: “Our passenger profile continues to evolve as we attract new airlines and new routes… so it is vital that we fine-tune the CPH shopping experience to address passengers’ needs. As such, we are challenging ourselves to develop and refine the accessible luxury segment of our retail proposition and these new openings are perfect examples of the exciting and dynamic brands we seek to partner with.”

 

Ryevad adds: “You can expect to see a constant stream of dynamic and cutting edge shopping experiences in 2014 and beyond. The Nytorv area is evolving into a powerful, luxury retail space with strategic adjacencies of major labels such as Bottega Veneta, Hermes, MaxMara and Boss, combined with local hero brands.”

 

In the first quarter of this year international passenger traffic at CPH grew by +4.1%, slower than the domestic rise of +6.8%. In 2013, the airport set a new record with 24.1m passengers travelling through the Danish capital.

 

FIRST FOR B&O

The arrival of B&O Play from mid-April 2014 –marks the brand’s first airport door. The shops will focus on a younger, digital lifestyle audience with headphones and portable speakers likely to be the biggest sellers. Among the top audio-visual products available will be BeoPlay H6 headphones and the BeoPlay A9 music system.

 

Henrik Taudorf Lorensen (right), Corporate Vice President B&O Play, comments: “CPH provides a highly appealing audience for us in a dynamic and luxurious environment.”

 

On the fashion side, Italian ready-to-wear label MaxMara will open its first European DF&TR location at CPH while existing brands Boss and Hermès will relocate to larger sites later in the year. The airport has also signed new contracts with Gucci, Burberry and Mulberry. Local brands Ole Lynggaard and Georg Jensen have signed contract extensions.