Salud to open duty free store in North Sea resort Heligoland

NETHERLANDS/GERMANY. Salud Duty Free has unveiled a duty free store concept to launch in May in Heligoland, a small German archipelago in the North Sea, 155 km north-west of Hamburg.

The islands, which double as a holiday resort, are excluded from the EU VAT zone and customs union. The absence of taxes and duties on liquor and tobacco on the two islands helps to attract visitors from the continental mainland.

The shop location covers 250sq m and will focus on tobacco, spirits & wines and fragrances & cosmetics. The proposed interiors have been prepared by specialist store designer Umdasch.

Aiming high: The proposed shopfitting for the new store in Helgoland has been developed by Umdasch.

“The new duty free store fully complies with today’s retail and travel retail landscape, focusing on added value,” a source familiar with the plans told The Moodie Davitt Report.

“It doesn’t make sense to offer products which customers can buy in the domestic market too, even though our prices would be a bit more competitive,” the source added.

Customers will be able to sample cigars from the humidor before buying them.

 

“So we focus on the cooperation with brand owners: bottling special casks [or securing] limited editions and special releases [and] creating an assortment that stands out for [its] competitive prices.

“Also, customers can have a sip of whisky before they buy, [try] a small sandwich after their purchase and enjoy a cigar before buying the case. The concept is very clear with a clear design and easy navigation – it totally stands out compared to our competitors.”

The concept might later be rolled out to other stores in Europe, added the source.

Salud Duty Free BV is based in the Netherlands and operates as a specialist or sole distributor for duty free and travel retail products including spirits, wines, Champagnes, tobacco, fine foods including foie gras, confectionery and perfume.

Heligoland is a small German archipelago in the North Sea. Source: Google
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