Groupe ADP Chief Retail Officer, Aude Ferrand tells TRBusiness that the company will not compromise its mission to create a truly ‘magical’ Parisian shopping and dining experience at Charles de Gaulle or Orly in the wake of Covid-19, and it will work even harder to bring this to life in 2020 and 2021 in partnership with its retail and F&B partners.

 

Providing an update on this year, Ferrand tells TRBusiness that there are currently five of 14 terminals now open across CDG and Orly.

 

The full-length interview can be found inside the Top 10 Airports issue of TRBusiness magazine, which will be published in August.

 

“In France the stores had to close on 16 March…at that point we had only a few convenience stores which were still open and very few food and beverage kiosks. Since mid-May we have reopened stores. In Terminal 2EK, which is our existing flagship terminal, we have reopened the luxury brand boutiques as well as the duty free stores and most of food and beverage point of sales.

 

“Then we opened up 2F, followed by 2 AC. We reopened the relatively new Orly T3 on 26 June [which only opened for the first time back in April of last year – Ed]. On 13 July we reopened Orly 4. Since the end of lockdown, CDG has been considered one the most dynamic airports in Europe.”

 

PROJECTS ‘SLIGHTLY POSTPONED, BUT ABSOLUTELY NOT CANCELLED’

While 2019 was a ‘very good year’ for travel retail in Paris, unsurprisingly the coronavirus pandemic has decimated 2020 sales targets. However, the airport operator remains focused on its major retail projects; even if they have been slightly postponed.

 

“We think we had a great strategy before Covid and we believe it will be just as good – if not better – for the coming years,” insists Ferrand. “Of course we had to review our investments, but our main facilities projects, which are Terminal 2B-2D junction in Paris-CDG and the future flagship of Terminal 1 have been slightly postponed, but absolutely not cancelled.

 

“We have been sharing this message with our partners, meeting with all the operators and brands to tell them that we need all together to keep on investing in this unique vision of hospitality, despite Covid.”

 

NEW SCHENGEN 2B-D TERMINAL & T1 FLAGSHIP UPDATES

In line with this, Groupe ADP will open its new Schengen terminal (2B-2D) in March 2021. “It’s very focused on gastronomy,” reveals Ferrand. “It has a food hall at the centre, surrounded by retail including, of course, our duty free shops.”

 

Then in 2022 ADP will open the new Terminal 1, including the merger of several international satellites, which will be of huge significance, not only to Groupe ADP, but also to its commercial partners.

“It will be a new flagship with a global proposition of hospitality,” said Ferrand. “It’s too early to tell you much more than that, but we will be very pleased to present this great project around mid-2021.”

 

Whilst ensuring the safety of those passengers which are gradually returning to its Paris airports is Groupe ADP’s number one concern, Ferrand emphasises that providing the ‘ultimate Parisian shopping and dining experience’ is still a top priority; albeit in just five of the 14 terminals which are currently open.

“We still want to be the only place in Paris with excellence in four drivers; Interior design & space management; our Parisian brands portfolio; in service and finally price positioning. We believe we will work best together with our partners to drive our turnover back up to 2019 levels.”

 

Read the full-length interview inside the Top 10 Airports issue of TRBusiness magazine, which will be published in August.