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Brussels Airport’s first walk-through store has opened in the new commercial area |
BELGIUM. Brussels Airport has opened its first walk-through duty free & travel retail store, as part of a major development called the Connector project. The development is home to a state-of-the-art retail and dining complex with a range of leading fashion brands and upscale food & beverage options.
The new area opened on Thursday 26 March. The building’s total surface area amounts to over 30,000sq m and brings the airside commercial space for Schengen passengers to more than 8.000sq m.
Connector has been developed to allow passengers to move easily from check-in to their gates in piers A or B, without changing floors or using the tunnel that until now has connected the main terminal and pier A.
A new security screening platform is also being introduced, initially for passengers departing from gates A or T and from 2016 for all passengers. For arriving passengers, the building will provide smooth passage to the baggage reclaim hall and the exit, said the airport company.
A new airside zone has been created, housing the new walk-through duty free shop operated by International Duty Free (until 2014 known as Belgian Sky Shops), as well as numerous high-end boutiques. A key element of the project is that passengers can now do all of their shopping on one level and all passengers will walk past every shop.
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The Epicure store features luxury food, wines, tea and coffee |
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The duty free store will be home to one of the largest fragrances & cosmetics point of sale in Belgium (1,700sq m), with substantial space for other categories such as liquor, tobacco and confectionery.
A Luxury Hall features brands such as Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Zegna, Delvaux, Tumi, Longchamp and Hugo Boss. In addition, there is an upscale watches outlet with brands such as Breitling, Hermès and Montblanc.
There are new stand-alone fashion stores including Sarah Pacini, River Woods, Massimo Dutti and McGregor, as well as a Fashion Studio housing names such as Tommy Hilfiger, Superdry, Guess, Armani Jeans, Liu Jo and Twin Set.
The airport will also introduce a number of new concept stores. These include a children’s store with brands such as Armani and Burberry in small sizes, plus toys and souvenirs from brands such as Tintin (from Belgium), Lego, Disney and Barbie.
Other concepts include the award-winning Epicure, featuring luxury food, wines, tea and coffee.
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The Belgian Chocolate House (pictured above and below) is home to brands such as Corné Port-Royal, Godiva and Neuhaus |
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Belgian Sense of Place is represented with the Belgian Chocolate House, home to brands such as Corné Port-Royal, Godiva and Neuhaus. Brussels Airport is the world’s single largest volume sales point for chocolate, said the airport company, at more than 800 tons a year – or more than 91 kilos per hour.
Antwerp jeweller Gautam also has a store, carrying an assortment of loose certified Antwerp-cut diamonds, together with handcrafted necklaces and bracelets.
Brussels Airport said it has chosen contemporary, international, high-quality restaurant concepts with particular attention to Belgian gastronomy and specialities.
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There are speciality stores across a range of categories |
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In F&B, there are new upscale concepts such as Black Pearls, a seafood restaurant whose design is said to be inspired by the look of a yacht. It features front of house preparation of sushi and other seafood plates.
The new self-service restaurant Belgorama, designed in Expo ’58 style (Brussels hosted the global Expo event in 1958), serves traditional Belgian dishes like chicken vol-au-vents and Belgian waffles.
For travellers seeking cakes and pastries there is premium patisserie Debailleul in Blend in Brussels, and various bars and cafés offering a wide selection of food and drink.
Brussels Airport also highlighted the introduction of “omni-channel retailing” through this new project.
It noted: “Brands like Samsonite and River Woods make it possible to buy at the airport and have your purchases delivered at home at your return.” McGregor will introduce interactive mirrors so travellers can try on clothes and share images with their friends before purchasing. On certain brands passengers can shop on departure and collect later on their arrival home.
Among the highlights of the consumer offer is The Loft, the new flagship lounge of Brussels Airlines in Pier A. 1,240sq m exclusive space with a range of business spaces, nap boxes, a buffet, Belgian design, the opportunity to borrow Microsoft tablets and a bespoke lounge app.
Brussels Airport houses 18,000sq m of commercial space and handled 21.9 million passengers in 2014. The Non-Schengen airside commercial area will also be redeveloped as Phase 2 of the Connector project over the course of 2015 and into 2016.
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The Connector also houses a range of upscale dining options, and offers new services for travellers in more comfortable space than before |
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