Extime Duty Free Paris officially launched yesterday (2 February) at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport’s reimagined Terminal 1.

Lagardère Travel Retail entrenched its long-standing partnership with airport operator Groupe ADP following a tender last year to become its 49% joint venture partner in Extime Duty Free Paris, a franchise of the Extime retail, hospitality and services concept.

TRBusiness and other trade media joined Mathieu Daubert, Chief Customer Officer, Groupe ADP; Aude Ferrand, Chief Retail Officer, Groupe ADP; Caroline Blanchet, Chief Marketing Officer, Groupe ADP; and Guy Bodescot, Director, Extime Duty Free Paris for a guided tour of Terminal 2B, T2D, T2G and the new Terminal 1 departure lounge.

As reported, T1 reopened to passengers in December 2022 having been closed since 30 March 2020 due to the Covid crisis.

It boasts a capacity of just over 10 million passengers annually, but that will take time to scale up in line with returning travellers.

The terminal welcomed back passengers on 5 December following months of modernisation to devise a refreshed area that is appreciative of the work of French architect Paul Andreau (involved in the original T1 commissioned in 1974).

“On the sales per pax, we are well above our budget and business plan,” Guy Bodescot, CEO Directeur Général Société de Distribution Aéroportuaire (SDA) and leading the Extime Duty Free Paris franchise confirmed to TRBusiness.

“We planned for €35 per head in this terminal and we [have achieved] much better than that,” he continued. While remaining tight-lipped on exact percentages, it is gathered the uplift has been ‘high double-digit’.

“With SPP we are very happy, but passenger volumetrics are key,” he continued. “What we have at the moment is a much more constrained volume of passengers but their spend per head is very high.

“The fact we are much more above than what we had in mind is good news, but I wouldn’t say it’s a success as we’re just launching and it’s early days, but I’m confident.

“Certainly, the SPP for fashion and beauty is very high and well above what we thought. The performance has been gradually increasing but it’s very difficult to relate to any other terminal performance.”

A sprawling, department store-esque central layout houses a series of arresting haute fashion boutiques from the likes of Chanel, Longchamp, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and Dior, interspersed with a high concentration of beauty concessions.

These include the likes of Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent, Guerlain, Givenchy, Gucci, Paco Rabanne, Lancôme, Clarins and Estée Lauder.

The high ceiling is adorned with a cylindrical-shaped two-tone gold and white lattice structure that takes its inspiration from French civil engineer Gustave Eiffel and the famed iron-clad structure of the same name.

Meanwhile, marble and hardwood flooring across the central commercial promenade acts to reflect and accentuate light from above.

The main Extime Duty Free store, which flanks the expansive fashion and beauty area, boasts an eclectic mix of categories: from core favourites such as tobacco, confectionery, fine wines and spirits, and electronics, to local delicacies bringing to life the savoir faire of Paris.

Of the approximately 140 Extime Duty Free beauty, gourmet, technical and fashion outlets across Paris’ airports, approximately 30 are situated in Paris Orly Airport with the remainder located in CDG.

The Extime Duty Free fascia is expected to be fully implemented at T2B by the end of February, before being phased across CDG’s other terminals later this year.

Three distinct identities typify the Extime Duty Free range selection across Paris CDG’s terminals: Lifestyle, Premium and Exclusive, which vary dependent on the passenger profile.

Premium addresses the needs of a broader mix of international travellers, while Exclusive caters to the niche demands of VIP customers.

In the case of the latter, they will be able to access a new pay-in VIP terminal due to open in 2024 in time for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.

At T1, the new commercial hall and boarding lounge have been aided by the connection between satellites 1, 2 and 3.

The boarding lounge was designed and imagined by two French designers, Maxime Liautard and Hugo Toro.

In comments shared with TRBusiness, Dag Rasmussen, Chairman and CEO, Lagardère Travel Retail, explained: “We’re very happy with the opening, it’s a change in dimension and really well thought out.

“Perfumes and cosmetics are very well located and I think the biggest success today. It modernises the whole set up. Thinking about joining the different piers is a great challenge, mixing the 1973 terminal with new ideas about architecture and retail.

“Retail was not part of the conception of CDG (T1) at the start and now they’ve really managed to make it as if it’s designed for retail.”

Separately, a loyalty programme, Extime Rewards, is due to roll out imminently.

Airport, retail and brand officials convened for official addresses in the presence of the media later in the evening of 2 February to showcase the new Extime hospitality, retail and lifestyle concept.

Full report to follow…