Preparations are on schedule to open the world’s first Louis Vuitton airport duty free shop in South Korea’s Incheon International Airport during the second half of 2011, according to an exclusive interview with Sang Ho Lee, Senior Manager of Incheon International Airport Corporation’s (IIAC) Marketing Planning Team. He says the drawing power of the new shop should help attract more Mainland Chinese transit passengers to the airport.

He told The Travel Retail Business Magazine in Seoul: “We are planning a special opening ceremony. We hope the shop is going to open by August/September.

“IIAC signed a contract with Shilla Duty Free at the end of February to open the Louis Vuitton shop. We accepted their proposal for a shop space in the central main terminal area.”

Noting that Shilla Duty Free also signed a separate contract with LVMH to open the Louis Vuitton shop, Lee added: “The location is a 550 square metres area in the luxury Air Zone area. There are many high-end brands there already like Gucci, Hermès and Chanel. The space is being used as a Shilla Duty Free fashion accessory shop.”

DESIGN IS YET TO BE REVEALED
Design work is underway on the new shop. Details of the exterior appearance and interior layout have not been revealed.

The shop’s location in the main terminal is close to the central departure entrance to the shuttle train service that carries passengers to the concourse terminal used by all foreign airlines at Incheon.

“LMVH are still designing the Louis Vuitton shop. It’s going to be attractive and a landmark shop, as it their first airport shop. It’s going to be gorgeous and eye catching,” Lee said.

Louis Vuitton’s first airport shop is due to become a major attraction at Incheon Airport and is expected to boost the number of foreign passengers transiting through Incheon who will also have the opportunity of using the shop.

LV WILL ATTRACT MORE TRANSIT CHINESE…
“We are definitely pleased to have this shop. Louis Vuitton is one of the most powerful brands in travel retail, especially with East Asian passengers,” Lee commented.

While the announcement of the opening date is still awaited, the Louis Vuitton airport shop opening is certain to generate wide publicity both locally as well in other Asian countries.

“It’s going to attract more Chinese passengers to our airport,” said Lee. “Transit passengers when they choose the transit airport for their journey will choose Incheon. It’s going to boost our overall duty free sales. That’s our strategy.”