SAVE Spa’s subsidiary AIREST Srl and McArthurGlen Luxury Retail have today announced the creation of a new joint venture called ‘Airest Collezioni’ which aims to bring together the combined strengths of both organisations to offer retail solutions to the airports’ industry.

The combined businesses will be led by Brian Collie, ex-BAA Group Retail Director and now Chairman of McArthurGlen Luxury Retail and Monica Scarpa, Ceo of SAVE.

Airest Collezioni will operate retail operations at the locations currently run by one or both parties – including businesses at Venice, Treviso, Dublin, Glasgow, Lyon, Bari and Moscow. 

BROADER RETAIL HORIZONS
As Airest Collezioni, the group will operate directly and indirectly across a spectrum of travel retail categories, including luxury fashion, duty free, location-based gifts, news and gifts as well as the existing stand-alone and Collezioni-led fashion outlets at a number of airports. Currently, the group is actively assessing opportunities across a range of airports.

Commenting on the strengths of the partnership and the expertise it can provide to airport landlords, Brian Collie said: “This is a great opportunity resulting from the success of our relationship with SAVE over the past three years and provides each of us with the opportunity to broaden our reach into more European locations with a well-planned cross-category strategy. 

“I’ve always lived by the premise that the customer is at the heart of a successful retail operation and I’m confident that the opportunities in our combined approach will delight customers and airports alike. 

“Between us we have an intimate knowledge of the global travel retail marketplace that will help us develop the opportunities in duty free, news and gifts while leveraging our superb relationships and pan-European knowledge of fashion to open the doors for yet more compelling brands at developing airports.”

NEW OPPORTUNITY
Enrico Marchi, President of SAVE and Airest added: “As from today, Airest Collezioni represents a new opportunity for the effective development of major retail and luxury brands offered to increasingly demanding travellers. The commercial facilities provided by the airports and the level of shopping in them is increasingly an indicator of the quality of the airport and the services it offers passengers”.

Adding her comments, Monica Scarpa, Managing Director of Airest said: “Airest Collezioni will be able to offer the companies that manage airports all over the world high quality products, an original offer and first-rate Italian fashion and lifestyle brands”.

The Airest Group also continues to operate in the food and beverage sector with its 152 sales points located in Europe and in the Far and Middle East. The Group has a strong presence in various channels, such as airports, rail stations, motorways, shopping malls and factory outlets.