NORWAY. Travel Retail Norway and Gebr. Heinemann have partnered for the opening of the first of two new Departures duty free stores at Oslo Airport.
The 2,400sq m Heinemann Duty Free store, located at the newly-opened north terminal, combines a natural feel with a relaxed shopping atmosphere, according to Gebr. Heinemann Executive Director Raoul Spanger.
“The shop simply works and one of the key reasons for that is the relaxed environment, with the high ceilings and open store layout providing enough space to shop comfortably,” he said. “People are relaxed as they come in and are not under pressure.”
The newly-opened store initially replaces the old Departures store, which closed at 11pm yesterday (30 November) for refurbishment. It will reopen in March 2017 with 350sq m of extra space. The 2,200sq m store will bring the total duty free space in Departures to 4,600sq m.
“We had to decide very clearly that two shops were needed and on how it will work together,” said Spanger, who noted that passenger traffic at the airport was growing strongly.
The current NOK14 billion (US$1.66 billion) development programme at Oslo allows for 28 million passengers per year. It will conclude in April 2017 with an official opening to be attended by Norway’s King Harald V and Queen Sonja. The airport ultimately has capacity for 35 million passengers.
Travel Retail Norway Managing Director Hakon Fjeld-Hansen said the strategy in developing the new Departures store was to make it stand out. As well as the store design and environment, this is achieved through the product and brand mix as well as in creating Sense of Place.
“We wanted to make something special – and this is a special shop,” he said.
Fjeld-Hansen said Travel Retail Norway and Gebr. Heinemann had set a target of achieving +5-7% sales growth in the first year of operations. The actual figure could prove slightly higher, he noted, based on sales at the recently-opened Arrivals store, which has “made a very good start and is over-performing so far”.
One of the main challenges the partners faced in creating the new Departures store was the ceiling structure, which meant that fixed spotlights couldn’t be used. Instead lights have been placed on tree-like structures, which are made from Norwegian wood and help emphasise the store’s natural look.
“It would have been much easier with a fixed roof, and the situation did worry us at first, but it has turned out extremely well and we are very pleased,” said Fjeld-Hansen. He noted that other solutions such as placing lights in gondolas across the store have added to the atmosphere.
The natural look will be enhanced even further when fully grown trees are installed inside the shop in early 2017. The aim is to give travellers the impression they are shopping among large rock formations. “We are very excited to be taking the concept of nature even further,” said Fjeld-Hansen. “We want our customers to have a harmonic shopping experience.”
There are a number of Norwegian products at the store, with a dedicated area immediately to the left as customers enter.
Fjeld-Hansen noted that about 85% of passengers in the terminal are Norwegian, and the duty free store allows them to take advantage of much cheaper prices than in the domestic market – which can be up to 50% lower for spirits and 60% for tobacco.
Although tobacco is decreasing in popularity in line with trends in the country, sales of snus – a popular powder tobacco product in Norway – are increasing rapidly, according to Fjeld-Hansen. Snus is especially growing in popularity among younger Norwegians and makes up close to 50% of tobacco sales at the airport.
A new local brand – Bad Norwegian – has also been added to the retail mix, and it currently has a display area featuring a motorcycle. “It’s a nice stop-effect for customers,” said Fjeld-Hansen.
Perfume & cosmetics is the largest category at the Heinemann Duty Free store. A new MAC Cosmetics installation and new Urban Decay and Bare Minerals shop-in-shops feature on the left hand side of the shop’s entrance.
Other highlights of the new store include a premium area for wines and chocolates; new ‘Gifting’ and ‘Men’s World’ concept areas (the latter is devoted to men’s fragrances); a wider cosmetic range for women; and a designated area for microbreweries. A large-format curved digital screen features in the centre of the store and displays videos promoting Norwegian tourism and shows currently available retail special offers.
Fjeld-Hansen said that a ‘click and collect’ online service would be implemented in a couple of weeks, while Travel Retail Norway also had plans for a new website and app, to be implemented in partnership with Gebr. Heinemann.
“The outstanding and long-lasting partnership between Travel Retail Norway and Gebr. Heinemann is based on close contact and commitment,” concluded Spanger. “We are happy to open this new shop, since it will again contribute to the company’s further development and creates a new level of shopping experience that will exceed the Norwegian and international traveller’s expectations.”
A 500sq m extension at the Heinemann Duty Free store in Arrivals will be unveiled on 16 December, bringing the total area to 4,000sq m. 15 extra cash tills will also be added, the partners said.
