Shannon Airport is in the midst of a tender evaluation process to select a works partner to refurbish a section of its historic Shannon Duty Free shop.

According to a contract notice (which closed for submissions last month) seen by TRBusiness, the work includes the refurbishment and fit-out of a portion of the existing duty free shop.

Responsibilities include the installation of built-in furniture, shop furniture, signage and furnishings.

The area designated for the fit-out covers approximately 470sq m out of a total 950sq m floor area. The work is expected to begin later this year.

COMMERCIAL STRATEGY DISCUSSIONS

The decision to refit a section of Shannon Duty Free shop comes as operator Shannon Group seeks advice on its future commercial strategy.

“As this is part of a current tender, we aren’t in a position to comment further,” a Shannon Group spokesperson tells TRBusiness.

According to recent reports, the new duty free space could take cues from the success of the the group’s Irish Design Store at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, which is run by Shannon Heritage – one of four companies operating under the umbrella of commercial semi-state company Shannon Group.

Shannon Airport opened the world’s first duty free store in 1947, where it started out selling souvenirs and Irish gifts.

It relaunched its duty free shop in 2014 under the celebrated name ‘Shannon Duty Free’, at the same time as it signed a deal with Gebr. Heinemann to supply the store, the deal of which remains in place today.

The airport handled over 1.7m passengers last year – a +2% increase year-on-year, with revenue from aeronautical and commercial activities registering €37.4m ($4.4m), a decline of €385,000 ($452,000) compared to the previous year.