Some 15 promotions involving suppliers and retailers are lined up for this year at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport’s shopping area, SkyCourt, where Gebr. Heinemann is the main duty free and travel retail operator.

 

The schedule kicked off this month with luxury Szamos Chocolates while a €100,000 Maserati Ghibli (see below) is also currently present drawing the crowds into the space.

 

Last year, according to Budapest Airport, promotions in partnership with Heinemann generated sales increases exceeding +250% for every product being promoted. In 2014, Hungarian brands will again feature prominently including Royal Tokji Wines, Zwack Unicum, Pick Salami and others.

 

The events are hoped to drive up per-head spending from the 8.5m passengers at the airport (last year’s figures when growth was flat compared to 2012).

 

Kam Jandu (left), Chief Commercial Officer, Budapest Airport since September 2013, says: “While Budapest ranked first among other benchmark airports in the ACI ASQ retail scores (shopping facilities category) in 2013, we fully recognise the importance of continuing to maximise our commercial opportunities and find new ways to generate non-aviation revenues.”

 

In February, the airport’s retail division, bud:shopping, staged a St Valentine’s promotion called ‘I Miss You Already’ where staff recorded farewell messages from family and friends in the departures zone and replayed them on hand-held heart-shaped monitors to their loved ones in the departures retail areas, where they were also presented with a promotional gift. Nearly 10,000 weekly hits were still being recorded on the YouTube video well into mid-March as total views approached 72,000.

 

The retail department at the airport – which is owned by a consortium led by Germany’s AviAlliance (49.7%) – was recently strengthened with the appointment of János Bagoly. The Hungarian gateway serves 99 destinations across 34 countries.