ITALY. Lagardère Travel Retail first came to Rome Fiumicino Airport in 2012, saw encouraging potential for growth and now aims to conquer with the aid of an ambitious new commercial offer.
The travel retailer has opened an Aelia Duty Free flagship walk-through store, five fashion shops and three food-service outlets within the airport’s newly constructed Avancorpo T3 area. They opened in December, and The Moodie Davitt Report was in attendance for this week’s inauguration event.
Lagardère Travel Retail Chairman and CEO Dag Rasmussen said the company has experienced consistent annual sales growth in Rome over the last five years, and he predicted added momentum following this week’s official retail and F&B unveiling.
Key to the retailer’s appointment in Rome was the promise to offer “the best of Rome and Italy”, while adapting to the airport’s ever-changing customer demographics.
Rasmussen told The Moodie Davitt Report: “There is one Rome, not several Romes – and we want to make people feel they are in Rome and nowhere else, so we do something specific for the city.
“We have a very good Italian team who understands that perfectly and sources the best Italian/Rome products to make the stores different.”
The Aelia Duty Free 1,850sq m store offers this through Italian brands, such as Pallini, Bvlgari, Acqua Di Parma and Dolce & Gabbana, as well as the A Casa del Gusto shop-in-shop which sells traditional Italian food and wine.
A little taste of Lagardère Travel Retail’s Aelia Duty-Free walk-through store @AeroportidiRoma, which officially opened last December pic.twitter.com/JTXqzNg0nT
— Ben Sillitoe (@BSillitoe) March 24, 2017
To meet the demands of the modern consumer, the store contains numerous flight screens, speedy checkouts and a click & collect service for customers who have pre-ordered products online.
A gift-wrapping service is offered at the gift bar and cash desk, while a Sense of Place is heightened by Roman decoration throughout the store, including a M&M’s customised corner showcasing The Coliseum.
The new Lagardère Travel Retail space at T3 also contains stores from Ermenegildo Zegna (men’s fashion), Montblanc (pens, watches and jewellery), Michael Kors (fashion accessories), Pandora (jewellery) and Sunglass Hut.
Food-service outlets operated by Lagardère Travel Retail include Farinella (a Naples-based eatery serving traditional Italian meals), Ajisen Ramen (Asian cuisine) and the Beercode pub and casual dining restaurant. Farinella’s outlet is its first located in an airport, while Ajisen Ramen’s restaurant marks its launch in Europe.
Rasmussen remarked: “We are extremely pleased to reinforce our historical partnership with Fiumicino Airport, and to demonstrate the relevance of Lagardère Travel Retail’s strategy to develop a global offer covering all the segments of the travel retail business – duty free, travel essentials and food-service.”
Below, Rasmussen addresses delegates at this week’s inauguration opening presentation.
Lagardère Travel Retail Chairman & CEO Dag Rasmussen: We aim to offer a full set of options in travel retail pic.twitter.com/uAWv5hQR6Y
— Moodie Davitt Report (@MoodieDavitt) March 23, 2017
