Aelia España, a subsidiary of LS travel retail, has won five fashion tenders that together amount to 2,200sq m of commercial area at the airports of Madrid Barajas T1, T2 and T4, Barcelona, Malaga and Valencia.

 

This follows news that LS Travel Retail has invested in a head-to-toe revamp of its Aelia concept, in order to define what it hopes will be an immersive ‘retail brand experience’ for passengers.

 

At the 23rd ACI Europe Airport Trading Conference in Zürich, Vincent Romet (below), Chief Operating Officer at LSTR’s EMEA region, gave delegates a sneak preview of the new branding and logo during a presentation in which he highlighted research showing that “many passengers are not happy in duty free stores”.

 

With this development in Spain, and after the acquisitions of the Gerzon operations in Amsterdam Schiphol Airport early 2014 and of Paris Airports fashion business (DFP) in 2011, as well as recent successes in Prague, or Warsaw airports, Lagardère Services consolidates its leading position in fashion travel retail in Europe.

 

Desigual is one of the top fashion brands in Spain.

 

SIX NEW COMMERCIAL SPACES

Aelia España, which already operates in the mid-high end fashion segment at Alicante and Malaga airports, will add six new commercial spaces to its operations, with an annual sales target above €20m.

 

At Madrid Barajas airport, the company will open two commercial areas; the larger of which, is more than 1,000sq m, and situated at T1 (international terminal) under the banner “The Fashion Gallery”.

 

The Fashion Gallery will be a small department store, with garments stocked from 20 prestigious fashion brands as well as an extensive space for jewellery and watches. The store will stock products from Spanish brands such as Loewe, Tous, Majórica or Lladró, as well as international luxury brands such as Bvlgari, Montblanc, Ferragamo or Burberry.

 

The company will also operate a smaller 236sq m store under the name The Fashion Place at the same airport in T2. This store will offer fashion and accessories in the mid-high end segment with the best-selling brands, such as Hugo Boss, Desigual, Lacoste, Armani Jeans and Swarovski. Madrid will also see the introduction of new Spanish brands Bimba and Lola.

 

 

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

At the T4 Satellite of the same Madrid Airport, the company will open a new 90sq m point of sale of Italian luxury brand Salvatore Ferragamo.

 

Malaga Airport will see the opening of a 207sq m Fashion Gallery. The Airport, with 73% Schengen and UK passengers and a growing percentage of Russian passengers, will offer Hugo Boss and Swaroski, Max Mara and Michael Kors, and Tumi.

 

The commercial offer will complement that of ‘Your Fashion Store’ which Aelia España currently operates at this airport.

 

At Barcelona Airport T2, the company has been awarded 388sq m dedicated to fashion and accessories with a diverse offer aimed at domestic and British passengers (with brands such as Desigual, Hugo Boss, Lacoste and Armani Jeans) and for Russian and Asian travellers, including as a novelty at this airport, both Guess and Michael Kors spaces.

 

Finally, the company will operate its first “The Fashion Place” point of sale at Valencia Airport, which “concentrates a considerable percentage of domestic passengers of a holiday-making profile, as well as travellers with destinations in Italy, France and the UK,” says LSTR.

 

The 200sq m, dedicated to the fashion and accessories activity, will showcase Bimba and Lola, Desigual and Majórica, as well as Lacoste, Armani Jeans, Swarovski and Boss Orange.