Copenhagen Airports (CPH) has provided further detail on plans to upgrade its tax-free offer as it embarks on an expansion of its airside and landside areas.

Retail operator Gebr. Heinemann, which recently renewed its contract at CPH for a further five years, is collaborating with Danish interior design firm Torpe Studios to regenerate the main tax-free store at T2.

“Top priorities are to offer extraordinary experience and an even stronger sense of place incorporated in the choice of material, furniture, look and feel,” Lise Ryevad, Director of Airport Sales told TRBusiness.

“One of the primary focuses for Heinemann, together with Torpe Studios, is to create a layout and design that more clearly reflects Copenhagen, as a city, in the store layout.

“Passengers visiting the tax-free store should easily decode that they are in tax free Copenhagen – and not any other city. In order to achieve this, the architects and designers are working with different Nordic and Danish references such as light, water and bicycles, which will be incorporated into the layout.”

CPH could not provide information on the expected brand mix when asked by TRBusiness due to ongoing negotiations.

Heinemann Duty Free currently operates six tax-free shops covering approximately 3,600sq m of space at the airport.

28 NEW SHOPS + F&B

Tax free, airside and landside areas will come under the microscope as part of a wider DKK20bn ($3.2bn) investment to create extra capacity for aircraft and new routes, as the Danish hub looks to increase its passenger capacity to 40m per year – up from just shy of 30m (+9.1%) in 2016.

As reported, the airside expansion opening next year will bring the total area to 4,000sq m and is set to feature 28 new shops and food & beverage outlets mixing ‘local heroes’ and international ‘power brands’ balanced to ‘every taste and budget’, says CPH.

Meanwhile, the creation of bright, open dwell areas with extra seating and clustered areas for passengers to eat, relax and shop has been informed by a CPH survey that found that 66% of passengers shop and/or eat before takeoff.

As reported in the February print issue, CPH is becoming more mindful of understanding the shopping habits of younger travellers better to influence them to spend.

This process of understanding, Ryevad udpates, is backed by more than 100,000 passenger interviews conducted annually together with continual testing of new retail concepts.

“Based on recent analysis, we identify a great potential to engage our passengers more, and we aim to fulfill this by expanding and differentiating our selection to meet demands from both Nordic and international travelers,” she explained.

“Therefore, more than ever, we also have a very strong focus on providing our passengers with a unique experience and a clear sense of place.”

More generally, commercial concepts in the new area will include ‘hybrid’ shop areas including retail and F&B and ‘lighthouses’ to guide passenger flows and highlight anchor brands.

LANDSIDE PRIORITY IN 2017

As expectation builds ahead of the new airside opening, CPH’s more immediate priority is the refurbishment of its landside area in T2, which expects to complete by the end of the year.

New and exclusive eateries located before the security checkpoint will include Pret A Manger and a fusion of local Danish gastronomy from brands such as Riccos, 42Raw, WOK and Bar Jacobsen.

“One of the biggest challenges is to continuously adapt and make sure that the commercial selection meets the needs and demands from the passengers,” added Ryevad.

“The survey conducted identified the passengers’ demands for changes to Copenhagen Airport’s selection of retail outlets and eaterires and strategise the best ways to utilise the expansion by putting the passengers at the forefront of planning.”