Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport has released images of its newly refurbished shopping precinct in departure Hall L at Terminal 2E (scroll to footer to view a picture gallery).

Operator Groupe ADP inaugurated the upgraded commercial space, which includes luxury boutique fashion, beauty and wines & spirits duty free areas, in late November.

In an exclusive interview with TRBusiness, Aude Ferrand, Chief Retail Officer at Groupe ADP confirmed: “The new departure lounge in Hall L of Terminal 2E at Paris-CDG has been open to the public since Tuesday 24 November.”

‘OASES OF PARISIAN FLAVOUR’

Travellers will encounter powerhouse French labels from the likes of Hermès, Chanel, Clarins, Diptyque, Guerlain, Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, in addition to a number of other revered international brands.

“This space has been refurbished and now offers passengers places of work, conviviality and rest, with a very strong sense of Parisian design,” continued Ferrand. “It is a critical part of the hospitality strategy that the group is developing to welcome passengers in more spacious, comfortable and even surprising spaces.

“More projects like this will follow in the coming months. In this first opus of Hall L, we have invested in some specific areas to reinvent the experience and offer unique Parisian flavour. These oases punctuate the customer journey and transform waiting time in fun and inspiring time. For these projects, we got our inspiration from the world of hospitality in general: hotels, reception places, bars and restaurants.

“Our idea was to offer the traveller, who visits Paris, a memorable moment in the continuity of the experiences they had during their stay in the capital. We were therefore keen to propose to them a boarding lounge at the level of the best Parisian spots.”

In 2019, Paris Aéroport’s airside shops occupied 34,000sq m of space across Paris-CDG and Orly.

Ferrand said that Paris’ airports today occupies an enviable position as the ‘ultimate Parisian shopping and dining experience’.

Accordingly, this is based around four key drivers: interior design and space management, brand portfolio, quality of service and price positioning.

“We are developing more and more exclusive concepts and ‘à la carte’ services to maximise the experience and the ‘sense of place’,” she continued.

Last year, Groupe ADP opened the Eiffel café in Terminal 2E in a bold evocation of Parisian sensibility.

“The architecture echoes the codes of the Eiffel Tower and the dishes are typical of Parisian bistros,” explained Ferrand.

“We work with our partners, to develop new concepts specifically for Paris Airports, in all areas. On each key product line, we mix a brand portfolio including all the French leading brands and best international brands and always offer a guarantee: the same best standards [compared with] downtown.”

France’s celebrated haute couture traditions continue to permeate the departure, arrival and transit halls at the airports.

“‘Made in France’ is not only a formidable commercial lever, it is also a deep-rooted approach at the heart of our strategy,” explained Ferrand.

“Buying a product made in France in Paris brings also an environmental advantage as products are not being transported all over the world. We also develop young designers who manufacture in France, with responsible products.”

According to the latest November figures, passenger traffic at Paris Airports (Paris CDG and Paris Orly) sunk by 87.5% year on year to total one million as Groupe ADP’s network suffered a 58.6% drop in passengers to 6.7 million for the period in question.

At Paris CDG, Terminals 2E (Hall K and L), 2A and 2F are currently operational and handling the entirety of commercial flights. Paris Orly Airport’s terminals are understood to have reopened.

For more from Groupe ADP and SDA/Lagardère Travel Retail, watch out for the ‘Made in France’ report available in the December edition of TRBusiness.