SOUTH KOREA. Arch-rivals Lotte Duty Free and The Shilla Duty Free will battle it out for the Gimpo International Airport liquor & tobacco duty free contract in Seoul.
The country’s number one and two travel retailers by sales were shortlisted for the final selection process by Korea Airports Corporation.
The opportunity arose after City Duty Free, a small and medium enterprise (SME), withdrew from the concession on 21 April. The retailer cited unsustainably high concession fees that had driven losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars each month, which was badly affected last year by the THAAD-related decline in Chinese tourism.
Lotte Duty Free already operates at Gimpo Airport, having been the sole bidder for the cosmetics & fragrances space in the fourth re-run of a tender in 2016 that until then had failed to attract any bids. The company confirmed its shortlisting to The Moodie Davitt Report. Shinsegae Duty Free, which showed earlier interest, failed to make the final cut.
A Shilla Duty Free spokesman told The Moodie Davitt Report: “Yes, the news is correct. Shilla is successfully running a liquor & tobacco concession at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1. We believe that having such a proven track record of airport duty free liquor and tobacco operation was highly commended [during the shortlisting process] along with Shilla’s other successful histories at multiple superb international airports.”
NOTE TO AIRPORT OPERATORS: The Moodie Davitt Report is the industry’s most popular channel for launching commercial proposals and for publishing the results.
If you wish to promote an Expression of Interest, Request for Proposals or full tender process for any sector of airport revenues, simply e-mail Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com.
We have a variety of options that will ensure you reach the widest, most high-quality concessionaire/retailer/operator base in the industry – globally and immediately.
Similarly The Moodie Davitt Report is the only international business intelligence service and industry media to cover all airport consumer services, revenue generating and otherwise.
We embrace all airport non-aeronautical revenues, including property, passenger lounges, car parking, hotels, hospital and other medical facilities, the Internet, advertising and related revenue streams.
Please send relevant material, including images, to Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com for instant, quality global coverage.
All such stories are consolidated in our popular Tender News section (see home page dropdown menu) that has been running since 2003.
