US. HMSHost, the Autogrill-owned travel retailer-to-food & beverage operator, and the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Inc (NASCAR) today celebrated the grand opening of The NASCAR Shop in the atrium of Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s Main Terminal.
The approximately 700sq ft store marks the first retail collaboration between HMSHost and NASCAR.
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On track at Charlotte: (From left) HMSHost Corporation President and CEO Elie Maalouf, Charlotte Mayor Paul McCrory and Charlotte Douglas International Airport Director of Aviation Jerry Orr celebrate the landmark moment |
NASCAR is the number one spectator sport in the US, hosting 17 of the top 20-attended sporting events in the country each year. Over 75 million brand-loyal NASCAR followers purchase an estimated US$2 billion worth of licensed products annually.
“NASCAR’s sports history began in Charlotte and it is only fitting that Charlotte Douglas International be the first airport to open The NASCAR Shop for our travellers,” said Charlotte Douglas International Airport Aviation Director Jerry Orr.
With its brightly coloured signage and graphics, the Charlotte Douglas NASCAR store is designed to be instantly recognisable to fans. Travellers will find the highest quality and most popular NASCAR licensed merchandise, including special displays of NASCAR’s 60th Anniversary items, HMSHost said.
The shop offers apparel, collectibles and accessories for men, women and children, supported by a wide selection of gifts and souvenirs.
“This partnership with HMSHost will provide fans travelling through Charlotte an opportunity to bring the excitement of NASCAR home,” said NASCAR Managing Director, Licensed Products Blake Davidson. “This store is an important component to our overall retail strategy and there is no better place to open this first store than right in the heart of the NASCAR industry and home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”
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The store offers apparel, collectibles and accessories supported by a wide selection of gifts and souvenirs | |
HMSHost said: “In addition to the official logo merchandise available in The NASCAR Shop, specially created designs of apparel and accessories for men, women and children will make great gifts or souvenirs and add to the energy and excitement of The NASCAR Shop.”
“We expect The NASCAR Shop to become a destination for fans of the sport and are delighted to partner with Charlotte Douglas International Airport and NASCAR in opening this first airport location,” said HMSHost Senior Vice President, Business Development Pat Banducci.
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| ”Destination merchandise is one of the most important concepts in airport retailing and yet consistently one of the most ignored or poorly executed“ |
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FOOTNOTE: HMSHost President and CEO Elie Maalouf is one of the lead speakers at the world’s leading conference on airport commercial revenues, The ACI Airport Business & Trinity Forum, due to be held in Shanghai, China on 31 March-2 April. The event is a joint venture between The Moodie Report and Airports Council International. For details see www.ACI.aero or click here.
ABOUT HMSHOST
Autogrill subsidiary HMSHost specialises in creating customised shopping and dining spaces in travel venues around North America and, increasingly, other international locations. The company operates in more than 100 airport locations around the globe, including 19 of the 20 busiest airports in North America.
With sales exceeding €3.9 billion, parent company Autogrill is present in 33 countries with more than 4,800 points of sale in more than 1,050 locations (including 163 airports and 689 motorways) where 51,000 employees serve over 840 million customers every year. Autogrill owns Alpha Airports Group and has a 50% holding in Spanish travel retailer Aldeasa. See www.HMSHost.com for more information.
ABOUT NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Inc (NASCAR), which began in 1948, is the sanctioning body for one of America’s premier sports. NASCAR is America’s leading spectator sport and the number two-rated regular-season sport on television with broadcasts in more than 100 countries. NASCAR fans are said to be the most brand loyal across all sports, and as a result, more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport.
NASCAR consists of three major national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series), four regional series, and one local grassroots series, as well as two international series. NASCAR sanctions 1,300 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 US states, Canada and Mexico.
ABOUT CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is seeing record growth. More than 30 million passengers are expected to fly in and out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport in 2008, making it the airport’s busiest year ever.
This record growth placed CLT in the top ten airports in the US in 2007.Charlotte Douglas International Airport offers non-stop service to 123 destinations, including 27 international locations.
The airport is owned and operated by the City of Charlotte. Visit www.charlotteairport.com for more information.
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Full Aldeasa takeover, then more acquisitions: Gilberto Benetton in deal-making mood – 14/11/07
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