Relay opens new store at Sunshine Coast Airport

Sunshine Coast Airport has opened a new Relay store, marking the first retail opening within its $170 million terminal redevelopment and the start of the airport’s largest-ever investment in food and beverage, travel essentials and specialty retail.

Operated by Lagardère AWPL, Relay is the first of eight new retail and dining concepts planned as part of the redevelopment, with the store combining travel essentials, fresh food and coffee, health and beauty products and a mix of local, national and international brands.

“Relay is the first new venue to open as part of a major transformation of the airport experience and provides a glimpse of what’s still to come,” said Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Chris Mills. “It’s exciting to see the new Relay travel essentials store now open, offering passengers a wide range of products for their journey while also showcasing locally sourced Sunshine Coast products.”

Local provenance will be a major focus across the revamped commercial offer, with future stages of the redevelopment set to include a dedicated Discover Sunshine Coast experience highlighting regional products and businesses.

Lagardère AWPL CEO Costa Kouros said: “Welcoming travellers into the very first Relay store at Sunshine Coast Airport is a fantastic milestone for our team. This marks the first of eight new retail and dining concepts we will deliver in partnership with the airport. We’ve designed this modern space around what travellers need on the move, combining everyday travel essentials, fresh food and coffee, health and beauty and a carefully curated collection of local, national and global offerings.”

The store also gives local producers greater exposure to domestic and international passengers. Brands stocked include Maleny Chocolates and Nutworks, both of which highlighted the opportunity to reach new audiences through the airport.

Maleny Chocolates Managing Director Troy Wainwright said the partnership with Lagardère AWPL allows the brand to reach thousands of travellers who may be discovering its products for the first time, while Nutworks International Sales Manager Sarah Leonard said the airport presence gives the company access to customers from across Australia and overseas.

Future openings within the terminal redevelopment will include an all-day dining venue, a coffee house, a burger and beer outlet and, for the first time at the airport, a dedicated self-serve dessert bar.

The remaining restaurants and retail outlets will open in phases, with the full programme expected to be operational by late 2027.

Main image caption (L-R): Nutworks International Sales Manager Sarah Leonard; Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Chris Mills; Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli; Lagardère AWPL CEO Costa Kouros; and Maleny Chocolates Managing Director Troy Wainwright.