Long-time Fiji Nadi Airport duty free operator Prouds has opened its new departures and arrivals operation consisting of a 950sq m ‘luxury’ outlet located in the International Departures Lounge and Arrivals Hall.

 

The duty free operator says that the new store designed by Architectus reflects the recent modernisation of Nadi International Airport and the ‘injection of new life into the International departures lounge. It adds that it also integrates Fijian design with contemporary retail, while the store investment itself is also a measure of the renewed confidence in Fiji’s DF&TR sector.

 

The retailer says that all of its duty free stores are now operating, although it plans to make a few more changes by mid-December which it says bring the total investment in fixtures, fittings and stock to around F$7m ($3.2m).

 

 

Prouds Director Tejash Patel said: “The all new Prouds duty free stores are architecturally designed reflecting international trends in luxury travel retail with the hope that a traveller will feel as though they are in Sydney, Dubai or London. We have brought luxury retail of the World to Fiji.”

 

[As reported back in July, a joint venture duty free company between the CPL Group and Prouds opened three new stores at the new Jackson International Airport in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea earlier his year-Ed].

 

 

The retailer adds that its new facility and portfolio of internationally recognised brands are also benefiting from Fiji’s very healthy tourism industry at present.

 

According to official government estimates, the country is forecasting a record 714,000 tourism arrivals this year (compared with 692,630 in 2014), with the ultimate aim of generating around $2bn in annual tourism revenues by 2020 ($1.4bn in 2014).

 

 

Meanwhile, the new Prouds Nadi operation has been received well by its customers, according to Airports Fiji Limited’s Executive Chairman Faiz Khan who paid tribute to the Prouds company for adapting to the new airport environment after months of planning and hard work.

 

He said: “I wish to thank the Directors of Waqavuka Development Company Limited [trading as ‘Prouds’-Ed] for the efforts that they have put in the tenancy fit-outs, absolutely to world-class standards.”

 

 

In turn, Prouds’ Tejash Patel thanked Airports Fiji Limited for ‘its partnering approach’ as one of its lead tenants at airport [the competing duty free retailer at Nadi Airport is Tappoo Duty Free-Ed].

 

The Motibhai Group through its subsidiary Waqavuka Development Company Limited trades as Prouds [written locally as PROUDS-Ed]. The company says that is also particularly proud that more than 80% of its new stores are Fijian made.