Dufry and EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg yesterday inaugurated the retailer’s main travel retail walk-thought store in the centre of its commercial space at EuroAirport – post security and just prior to the boarding area.

 

The new-look store’s retail area has been enlarged by 200m to 1,032m and is said to take the shopping experience for airport passengers ‘to the next level’ after a refurbishment which lasted five months where the store continued to trade throughout the improvements.

 

Dufry says this has nevertheless paid off, with positive feedback from EuroAirport passengers – many of whom are regular repeat travellers.

 

 

The retailer adds that the concept of this new-look Dufry main shop is also better tailored for present customer expectations, including the new unique services that are designed to enhance the customer experience.

 

MAJOR UPGRADE ACROSS THE STORE

Dufry points to a brighter, more modern design, offering clear visibility lines across the store to make it more welcoming and enjoyable to browse.

 

There are also some ‘strong personalisations’ aimed at showcasing some well known international brands, while several new brand names have also been introduced across all the key categories. Examples include La Prairie, Tom Ford and Nuxe in the beauty arena, plus Alexander McQueen, Miu Miu and Wenger in the luxury, to name but a few.

 

 

‘STRONG SENSE OF PLACE’

Describing the company thinking when refurbishing the store, Dufry said it sought to convey a strong ‘sense of place’. It added: “This is reflected in innovative design details that take their inspiration from the traditions and architecture of the city and its locality.

 

“Geometric shapes, sweeping walkways and sleek store furniture work together to make this a truly flagship store. The introduction of new technology, including video wall and audio sound system, is a definite improvement in passenger communication.”

 

Commenting on the new concept store, Matthias Suhr, Director at EuroAirport said: “We are constantly striving to improve passenger comfort and service quality. The new concept and design of the Dufry main shop is an excellent example of how we are achieving this goal.

 

“We greatly appreciate our partnership with Dufry. Both Dufry and EuroAirport teams are committed to delivering quality services. We are delighted by the result.”

 

 

Adding his comments, Julián Díaz, CEO of the Dufry Group said: “We are very pleased about the opening of our new duty-free shop at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, close to our headquarters in the city of Basel.

 

PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE STAFF

“I would also like to underline the excellent collaboration with the airport management and the teams involved to make this important improvement possible without affecting the service to the travellers at the airport. The shop features some of our new design elements aiming at conveying a strong sense of place for the passengers and enhance the in-store communication with customers.”

 

Dufry currently operates seven shops at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg covering a total retail space of more than 1,900m. Outlets include five duty-free and one duty-paid shop located in the departure area occupying 1,632 m. of retail space.

 

 

A LONG-LASTING RELATIONSHIP…

These include a Hudson shop, plus a fashion outlet housing brands such as Lacoste, Superdry, Tommy Hilfiger, Fossil and Samsonite. An additional store comprising 168m of retail space is also located in the Swiss sector of the arrivals area.

 

The walk-through Dufry main shop first opened its doors at EuroAirport on 31 March 2006 and the relationship between the retailer and the airport goes back many years.

 

For example, 2006 was the same year that Dufry acquired Brazilian travel retailer Brasif and just one year after the company became a publicly-listed company with its shares listed on SWX Swiss Exchange.