AUSTRALIA. Lagardère Travel Retail has opened Aelia Duty Free arrival and departures stores at Cairns Airport.
The stores cover over 1,000sq m of retail space in the International Terminal 1, offering a mix of global and local brands.
As reported, Lagardère Travel Retail won a ten-year concession to operate duty free and speciality stores in T1 commencing this month. A stage-two store evolution is planned towards the end of the year.
Lagardère Travel Retail said it is reinforcing its strategic plan of operating three business units in one location – duty free & fashion, travel essentials and food service – and strengthening its relationship with the landlord.
Regional CEO Matthieu Mercier said the opening has set a new benchmark in the Pacific.
“We are delighted to be extending our duty free presence to this part of the Pacific region. Cairns Airport has been a valued partner of ours for 25 years, and we are very pleased to expand on our enduring partnership.
“We will continue to work together to deliver outstanding customer service and develop our stores so every international passenger through Cairns Airport receives a world-class experience.
“The level of detail in the preparation, organisation and coordination of this project has allowed an incredibly smooth transition for Aelia Duty Free to open and we are very excited to unveil Aelia Duty Free at Cairns Airport. We believe it can exceed the expectations of both the terminal and passengers”.
Cairns Airport General Manager Commercial Fiona Ward said: “The Lagardère team were simply exceptional in their well-executed overnight transformation of the duty free stores to their Aelia brand. They brought in an army of over 100 people, including CEO Matthieu Mercier, to move and unpack several thousand items of stock.
“I am confident Aelia Duty Free will introduce a high-quality and broad-ranging product offer that meets the demand for exceptional value and accessible indulgence presented by Cairns Airport’s unique customer mix.
“Our ten-year duty free agreement builds strongly on the existing relationship between our two companies, with Lagardère already operating 16 speciality stores and food & beverage outlets at Cairns Airport.”
Aelia Duty free said it is committed to delivering unique experiences and world firsts.
Its offer includes a dedicated website at https://cairns.aeliadutyfree.com.au
