Argentinean duty free operator Interbaires grew its sales turnover from $92m in 2005 to $115m in 2006 and is already 21.5% up for the first three months to the end of March 2007.

The operator, which runs all of the airport duty free shops in Argentina had a particularly good year at Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport in 2007 where it derives most of its sales, according to Ceo Enrique Urioste.

He told TREND that a combination of new bigger shops, better logistics, product ranging and merchandising, plus an influx of foreign tourists with better spending power were the main reasons for the increase.

‘We have increased the traffic number by 11% and the second reason for this growth is the new shops that we have opened. That is basically the departures shop in Terminal A [Ezeiza Airport-Ed] that opened in early January of this year.

‘With the bigger space in this shop we have been able to better allocate space to fashion, jewellery and to high-end accessories and these products have really, really performed in a great way,’ he said.

The operator has also introduced – and is introducing – a number of new concepts at Ezeiza: ‘For example, we have allocated almost 600sq m to what we call the service area. There we have a Casa del Habano which is the fifth Casa del Habano in an airport where people can go into the small VIP area and they can smoke a cigar and they can have a free Cognac or coffee. They can also find special editions that are only found in Casa del Habano.

‘We also have a hair salon sponsored by Sebastian from the P&G Professional Care Division and at the end of this month we are opening a spa from La Prairie that will be the third spa in an airport in the world. There is one in Zurich, one in Hong Kong and soon there will be one here in Buenos Aires.

‘We have also divided the destination merchandise and created at the entrance to the shop a very, very upscale offer of unique products where the ticket price really starts at $200 and above. This we generically define as Made in Argentina and we have allocated the rest of the destination merchandise.

‘So we are really trying to create a proper ambiance in order to sell luxury goods and sell to the aspirations that people have in the proper environment.’