An 18-month renovation at Nice Airport (NCE) in the south of France is now complete, and the 42 retail and service units in its three terminals – two for scheduled traffic and one for business aviation – are entirely refurbished.

The revamp covers 6,300sq m and, according to Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur Group – which manages NCE as well as Cannes Mandelieu and Golfe de Saint-Tropez airports – the new offer “reflects the nature of the region, where French expertise and luxury come together”.

The long process began in September 2023 with a call for tenders. By renewing the entire retail and service offering – excluding the bars and restaurants in terminals one and two and the business aviation terminal – NCE aimed to enhance the retail experience by focusing on the character of the French Riviera. This region stretches from Saint-Tropez to Italy, via Monaco, and is home to some of the world’s richest people.

Franck Goldnadel, Chairman of the Board of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, said: “Nice Airport has a unique dual identity: it is the gateway to a world-renowned region, and also the laboratory for the airport of tomorrow. This is naturally reflected in our new retail offering, which provides an atypical experience, imbued with the colours and scents of the Riviera, as well as retail spaces and concepts that are entirely new to a French airport.”

In a statement, Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur Group added: “The renewal reflects a strong response to a key challenge: providing the highest quality of service and integrating CSR into all actions and operations, which was a central focus of the tenders.”

The operator said that NCE’s 15.23m passengers (in 2025) can now access concepts “previously unseen in France”, and top fashion and fragrance brands not available in any other French airport except Paris. The stores also incorporate a mix of premium and niche offerings, particularly in perfumes, plus some iconic flagships from the Mediterranean.

Iconic French brands at Nice Airport

For example, a multi-brand luxury fashion boutique sells pre-owned items, a response to consumer demand. Meanwhile, the service centres located in both commercial aviation terminals have been completely renovated and expanded, and the range of services has been broadened.

L’Artisan Parfumeur is operated by Lagardère Travel Retail.

Candice Cadreils, Director of the Commercial Business Unit at NCE, said: “These past 18 months of work reflect our ambition to offer all our passenger categories, whether leisure or business, travelling solo, as a couple, or as a family, a surprising and innovative travel experience. We have attracted and retained iconic French brands that travellers won’t find at any other airport. This reflects the strong trust we share with our partners, both long-standing and new.”

The two core travel retailers at the airport are Lagardère Travel Retail, which manages the duty-free spaces, and Avolta, which is responsible for seven retail units. The spaces are divided as follows:

Lagardère Travel Retail

– Two main duty-free outlets, including areas dedicated to local products and French specialities

– Eight further stores:

– for the first time outside Paris airports, two units for Chanel and Dior, selling beauty/wellbeing products, a fast-growing segment

– a high-end Longchamp boutique

– L’Artisan Parfumeur focused on top-tier French fragrances

– a concept highlighting the Côte d’Azur’s gastronomy: Bottega della Riviera

– two multi-brand areas in T1 and T2, hosting clothing and fashion accessories

– Looping, devoted to children of all ages, also brings together the Disney and Pokémon brands, plus the Marvel licence.

Avolta

– two Fragonard boutiques in T1 and T2, showcasing the Côte d’Azur’s cultural heritage

– two luxury Hermès and Zegna boutiques in response to high-end demand

– an outlet featuring Lacoste and Longchamp

– a luxury multi-brand unit with second-hand products, as requested by the airport

– a Suncatcher sunglasses boutique, an Avolta own-brand.

The Boulevard Edit has a pre-loved section.

Alongside these two major operators, NCE also selected two brands to operate directly. The Kooples kept its clothing, footwear and accessories space in T2, while Millenium has made its debut at the airport with three Obsentum niche fragrance shops, one in each of the commercial and business aviation terminals.

Nice Airport is the busiest airport in France outside the Paris airport system and has a network of more than 130 direct destinations served by 62 scheduled airlines. These carriers fly to 47 countries, including long-haul destinations like Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Boston, Dakar, Doha, Dubai, New York, Montreal, Riyadh, and Washington.

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