NEW ZEALAND. Auckland Airport has revitalised its retail landscape with the opening of two new duty free stores by JR Duty Free and DFS in the International Departures area.
The two directly competing stores have been designed to deliver an individualised and interactive shopping experience, reflecting the best of New Zealand, the airport company said.
Auckland Airport General Manager Retail & Commercial Adrian Littlewood commented: “We’re incredibly proud of the new duty free experience at Auckland Airport. We think travellers will be impressed by the new range of brands and products, some exclusive only to international departures, the appealing retail experience, and the great deals on offer.”
 |
Auckland Airport’s new-look Departures duty free zone features a two-way contest between DFS (above) and JR Duty Free |
 |
A JR Duty Free staff member offers tasting samples, typical of the retailer’s interactive approach to driving footfall |
 Competition heats up down under |
| Thanks to the highly illuminated global insight and immense wisdom of the New Zealand Commerce Commission, Auckland Airport now has two retailers – DFS and JR Duty Free – competing directly just feet away from one another |
| More on The Moodie Blog |
The Moodie Report has been on location in Auckland this week, talking to senior management at both retailers and at Auckland Airport. We’ll bring you our full report, together with an extensive Moodie Report Picture Gallery soon.
The new stores showcase a diverse range of new and exclusive brands, modern fit-outs featuring distinctive New Zealand designs, and a high level of engagement with customers.
Tasting bars are incorporated in each store, plus dedicated electronics zones where customers can try before they buy, and beauty bars offering personal makeovers.
Littlewood added: “Each retailer has taken their own unique approach to store design and fit out which has resulted in two recognisably different stores – which is great for customers and delivers a real buzz to the shopping experience.”
The two stores, positioned immediately after central security processing, stock an extensive range of local and international brands and products, including spirits and wine, fragrances, cosmetics & skincare, consumer technology and confectionery.
“We have been dedicated to redeveloping our retail experience at Auckland Airport since 2008 in order to bring a world-class-service to local and international travellers alike,” Littlewood said.
“With the food & beverage areas, the public farewell hall, the emigration area and now the duty free shops all revamped, we think we’re starting to deliver on that promise. But this just a taste of what is to come as we continue with the wider redevelopment of the Auckland Airport departures experience,” he concluded.
 |
 |
Customers sample Baileys Irish Cream at the tasting bar in the heart of JR’s elegant spirits and wine department |
 |
The vodka and gin area has a stunning backdrop of New Zealand’s famous Fox Glacier |
 |
The rich backdrop of the rum & liqueur wall features a beach scene and New Zealand’s iconic Pohutakawa tree |
 |
Maori design elements feature neatly in this elegant fragrances wall at the JR Duty Free store |
 |
Sweet dreams: Baileys Irish cream sprinkled with Toblerone is proving a showstopper at the JR tasting bar |
 |
Another image of the vibrant spirits and wine department: note the local character to the tags on the Baileys’ bottles |
 |
New Zealand has a great wine industry, captured evocatively in these striking images on the back wall of the department |
 |
The fragrances & cosmetics area (above and below) embraces a department store approach to encourage browsing |
 |
 |
The JR store features plenty of subtle design elements, including these elegant murals embedded in the overhead lighting |
 |  |
(Left) They start rugby players young in New Zealand and a proud Evelyn Danos, JR Group Director, stands by a display of All Blacks merchandise for children; (Right) Evelyn Danos with Operations Manager Andre Botes (left) and General Manager Sales & Buying – New Zealand Roger Winnewisser pose for The Moodie Report by the tasting bar | |
JR Duty Free said that its philosophy had been “to create a store that is like no other duty free store. A store that is both world class and reflective of the beauty of New Zealand.” Native New Zealand materials, ranging from Tawa timber to schist stone, have been used throughout the store to underpin the sense of local identity.
DFS (pictured below) offers a range of exclusive products and a stellar line-up of over 70 luxury brands. It is offering a world-first launch of ‘Malibu By U’, which allows consumers the chance to create their own personalised bottle of the rum and coconut-flavoured speciality spirit. In another excusive (also featured in the airport concourse, thanks to a ‘Trinity’ alliance between DFS, Diageo and Auckland Airport), consumers can have their photo taken beside an image of F1 racing star Lewis Hamilton and enter a competition to attend the Singapore Grand Prix.
 |
 |
DFS has embraced a walk-through approach, anchored by big brands and fixtures, complemented by powerful promotions |
 |
Shoppers can personalise their own bottle of Malibu in this innovative front-of-store promotion |
 |
Incentives (above and below) are key to driving footfall, so crucial in such a competitive two-retailer environment |
 |
 |
DFS is synonymous with elegant fragrances merchandising and it has excelled at Auckland Airport (above and below) |
 |
 |
Tastings are used to draw passengers into the store and drive conversion |
 |
These two images (above and below) capture the trademark refinement that DFS brings to brands and categories |
 |
 |
DFS General Manager Auckland Airport David Segreto and Managing Director South East Asia and the Middle East Craig Mckenna celebrate the opening of the new DFS store at Auckland Airport’s revamped departures zone |
Advertisement |
