Editor Amy van den Berg with Executive Retail Shops President James Mullaney in Miami.

ON LOCATION: TRBusiness jetted to Miami last week for a first-hand look at Executive Retail Shops’ luxury duty-free retail concept for private jet terminals and to find out more about the company’s expansion plans in the Americas. Words: Amy van den Berg.

Demand for private jet travel reached an all-time high in 2025 with 3.9 million departures recorded, according to WINGX data, and North America claiming a dominant 72% share of global business jet traffic.

Duty Free Holdings, parent company of Executive Retail Shops, identified a gap in the market to cater to high-net-worth-individuals (HNWIs) passing through private jet terminals – or FBOs (Fixed-Base Operators) – with a more exclusive duty-free retail experience, and its vision is taking off.

Following a concerted business push in 2025, which saw Executive Retail Shops build its footprint to 21 points of distribution, including a flagship location at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) which opened in September 2025, the company is moving forward with its plans to further elevate the customer journey with tailored retail experiences designed to capture a slice of their spend.

Already, Executive Retail Shops has added 25 new brands to its portfolio since last year. Now, the plan is to expand its offering to 20 new FBOs across the Americas by the end of 2027.

Erin and Abe Lichy of The Real Housewives of New York were hosts at Executive Retail Shops’ World of Wonder event in Miami earlier this month – seen here raising a toast alongside President James Mullaney.

“It’s something that nobody else is doing yet so we’re staying ahead of the curve,” said James Mullaney who relocated from New Jersey to Florida to join Executive Retail Shops as President in 2024, overseeing operations.

Today, Executive Retail Shops has become Duty Free Holdings’ “biggest growth driver” and is Mullaney’s personal focus. He is well equipped to grow the business: Mullaney spent the majority of his career in the luxury and fashion industry and has managed North, Central and South American territories, as well as the Caribbean.

TRBusiness took the chance to visit the FLL location to discover more about the concept. From the outside, it’s unassuming, yet on the inside visitors are immediately met with the company’s glamorous 693sq ft flagship store. Rows of luxury fragrances and spirits brands line the well-lit wood-panelled shelves, and three assistants stand smiling at attention behind a wide desk, ready to help customers make a selection.

Executive Retail Shops’ second annual World of Wonder event in Miami on 4 March, welcomed more than 320 guests.

Since its opening, Executive Retail Shops has continued to tailor the offering to consumer demand, providing a focused selection of fragrances and spirits, alongside some jewellery and skincare options.

On shelves that previously displayed mid-tier brands, customers can now find premium names such as Tom Ford, Dolce & Gabbana, Parfums de Marly and Clive Christian. Executive Retail Shops has also recently stocked high-end skincare brand Sisley and now carries ultra-premium spirits including Dom Pérignon and Louis XXII Cognac by Rémy Martin. Next, Mullaney says, is wines.

“Everything is demographic based,” he told us. “We do a lot of market research and sales analysis to keep up with what the customer wants.”

Aside from its FLL flagship, Executive Retail Shops’ Florida presence extends to premier aviation hubs including Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (OPF) and Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE).

For private jet passengers passing through OPF, its offerings are different but no less chic. Two ‘valise’ units stand at either end of the space, displaying fragrance and liquor products that change over every few weeks and can be purchased through an FBO staff member or through the Click & Collect service. This mode of shopping provides a more relaxed, exclusive feel to the space.

The ‘valise’ was inspired by a Louis Vuitton trunk and is one of three designs developed by the company – the others being a built-in shop, such as the set-up at the flagship, and a more recent modular concept that will carry the ‘signature selection’. The latter has a minimal footprint and was created for FBOs that vary in size. It will be brought to life at the company’s newest opening, at Sarasota, in early April.

Executive Retail Shops’ ‘valise’ unit is one of three bespoke retail designs developed by the company.

Mullaney is most excited, however, about the Click & Collect service, which invites travellers to place orders online to pick-up in-store or have them delivered directly to the jet.

“Think about it, you have a bachelorette weekend in the Bahamas and you’ve rented a 12-seater plane,” said Mullaney. “With Click & Collect we can deliver those cases of champagne, rum and fragrance before you take off.”

All this, he says, requires meticulous logistics, which is where Executive Retail Shops shines. With warehouses in strategic locations, including San Diego and Uruguay, the company is able to service multiple FBOs, making it strategically well positioned for expansion.

On top of its locations in Florida, Mullaney has set his sights on expanding to New Jersey, Las Vegas and across the wider Americas over the next three years.

“We already had operations in Uruguay and we are looking at some of the private airports in Argentina and Brazil,” he confirmed. “We are creating a community – our goal is to be worldwide. The big vision, or grand scheme, is to create a logistical platform that will enable us to do that.”

The ambitions and capabilities of Executive Retail Shops were on full display at its second annual World of Wonders event in Miami on 4 March. More than 320 guests were greeted by brand ambassadors dressed in 120% Lino and gifted subtly-branded silk scarves. Inside the waterfront venue, Casa Neos, was a roulette table, on-site Gurkha hand-rolled cigars and a live band featuring vocals by local artist Riamonae, alongside premium pours such as Angel’s Envy, Remy XO, Gold Bar and Johnnie Walker Blue.

World of Wonder brought together partners, tastemakers, industry leaders and media (including TV personalities and hosts for the evening Erin and Abe Lichy of The Real Housewives of New York who carried out a special tasting of their mezcal brand Mezcalum), demonstrating how Executive Retail Shops is successfully bridging the gap between private aviation and world-class retail.

“Our clientele want accessibility in terms of exclusivity,” said Mullaney. “But in the end we’re trying to give them an experience more than anything else.”

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