Edmonton Duty Free’s refurbished shops have enjoyed a strong start to trading.

Aer Rianta International North America (ARINA) has reported a positive start to trading at its newly renovated Edmonton Duty Free shops.

As reported, ARINA inaugurated the new-look stores situated in the domestic-international departures lounge and US departures lounge of Edmonton International Airport in Canada in late January.

“The feedback from our customers and partners has been fantastic – our [replica fossil] dinosaur is becoming famous,” Glen Morgan, General Manager, ARINA told TRBusiness in an exclusive interview.

“It was important for us to really create an authentic, memorable experience for shoppers, and we have managed to deliver a truly special retail offering at the new Edmonton Duty Free.

“The ‘Instagrammable moments’ with our [River Valley] swing add some fun to our store and complement the clean, sharp design of the store interiors.”

Strong growth at ARINA’s operation at Montréal–Trudeau International Airport has been supported by a combination of in-store activations, delivering ARI’s Customer Value Proposition and ‘Joy On Your Way’ brand expression to dial up the experiential element of retailing.

“Brands have really committed to offering world-class pop-ups and this is a testament to the strong partnerships we have built,” commented Morgan.

This publication learns that ARINA has been working closely with its airport partners to finalise plans for refurbishment work in Montréal in 2025.

“We’ll be focused on further elevating that sense of place experience for passengers and ensuring that airport shopping is the most anticipated part of the travel journey,” added Morgan. “As passenger traffic grows, we must continue to convert more passengers to shoppers. We are excited to begin refurbishment work at Montréal Duty Free later this year.”

North America remains important for the Dublin-headquartered travel retailer, with the ambition to further develop its footprint in the territory.

To view a Q&A with Glen Morgan (left), access the TRBusiness March e-zine by clicking here.