DFASS alleges Denver wrongdoing

By Doug Newhouse |

DIA Retail Fashion/DFASS is alleging wrongdoing by Denver Airport officers in relation to its award of a seven-year contract to Dufry/Hudson Group.
 
As reported, the new contract – expected to generate around $53m over the full term – was awarded to Dufry last September, with the retailer holding a 67% share in its ‘Denver Duty Free’ joint venture company. [The existing duty free retailer is a joint venture between Nuance and DFASS trading as Liberty Tax & Duty Free Shops].
 
But DIA Retail Fashion/DFASS is now seeking an injunction to stop the award, claiming that the airport “repeatedly violated the Denver Revised Municipal Code, the Denver International Airport Concession Policy and the terms of the RFPs it published, all in favour of its single largest retail concessionaire, Dufry North America/The Hudson Group.”
 
It continues with its alleged claim: “These violations consist of dozens of ex-parte communications  between the Hudson Group and the Airport during the RFP process, including communications between the Hudson Group and the Airport during the RFP process, including communications that led the Airport to change the RFP in Hudson’s favour and without notifying other bidders.”
 
In this very serious claim, DIA Retail/DFASS states it is looking for ‘a rebid of the concession or a disqualification’ of the concession award.
 
TRBusiness’ confirmation of the Denver Airport award to Dufry/Hudson can be found here: http://www.trbusiness.com/index.php/regional/americas/16029-denver-confirms-dufry-as-duty-free-partner.html
 
DIA Retail Fashion’s September 11 2014 submission to the District Court, Denver County, Colorado Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction can be found by clicking here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1311737/dia-complaint.pdf
 
The new contract at Denver (as it stands at present) is expected to cover three core locations with a total area of 560sq m: two DF&TR in-line stores located in the centre cores of Concourse A and Concourse B plus one at the Mezzanine Level. There is also an option to develop and operate a speciality perfume, cosmetics and fashion accessories store in Concourse C.
 
 

Asia & Pacific

Asia Pacific Travel Retail Awards: The Winners

TRBusiness and m1nd-set can today (13 March) reveal the winners of the 2024 Travel Retail...

The Americas

Details emerge of JFK T1 commercial programme and duty free tender

Qualified travel retail operators are being invited to participate in a request for proposals...

International

JCDecaux research offers major passenger insights

New research insights from Ipsos UK compiled for JCDecaux provide a revised outlook of air...

image description

In the Magazine

TRBusiness Magazine is free to access. Read the latest issue now.

E-mail this link to a friend