BRAZIL. Duty Free Americas (DFA) has opened a 5,500sq ft duty free store in the post-customs Arrivals area of Salgado Filho International Airport, the retailer’s second major opening in quick succession in Brazil.
Salgado Filho serves Porto Alegre, the capital and largest city of Brazil’s southernmost state. It is the center of Brazil’s fourth-largest metropolitan area, with approximately 5 million inhabitants. The airport served some 7 million passengers last year.
The Salgado Filho store is DFA’s second opening in quick succession in Brazil, following hot on the heels of the unveiling of a new store at São Paulo-Congonhas Airport.
The Porto Alegre shop is one of 18 either open or under construction in Brazil by DFA. Others include São Paulo-Congonhas, Manaus, Curitiba, and Maceió. When completed, these points of sale will comprise approximately 45,000sq ft of retail space, embracing duty free stores, luxury brand travel retail boutiques, and a chain of coffee shops, all serviced by DFA’s 40,000sq ft logistics facility in Curitiba.
DFA Chief Executive Officer Jerome Falic commented: “Our recent entry into the Brazilian travel retail market has been very exciting, and we look forward to the success of this operation at Salgado Filho International Airport.
“Our existing Brazilian stores and our other stores that are currently underway in other parts of the country are a testament to the confidence we have in the long-term potential growth of Brazil’s economy. We are very familiar with the spending habits of Brazilian consumers due, in large part, to the fact that many of our duty free customers at Miami International Airport are Brazilian, so our transition into Brazil over the past year has been very smooth and natural.
“We greatly appreciate the opportunity to partner with the airport authorities at Salgado Filho International Airport to further enhance the offer to passengers with best-selling brands and a unique shopping experience. We are also very grateful to [Duty Free Americas President] Michael Dinar whose hard work and dedication have helped to make this beautiful store possible.”
