Retail 25
Air Watch Center was modernised and expanded with the addition of new brands. In the public area, two renovations contributed to the rejuvenation of the arrivals level: the Relay kiosk was redesigned and the Fleuriot shop was both enlarged and renovated to give it a more upmarket positioning, look and feel. The renovations are important because they help to increase passenger satisfaction, as evidenced by surveys carried out regularly by Genève Aéroport. These surveys show that satisfaction with shops and
restaurants has risen since the major work undertaken in the GVA+ programme of 2009. Involving the renovation and expansion of the terminal, the GVA+ transformation also increased the variety of services, an equally fundamental element in ensuring and enhancing passenger satisfaction.
Highly varied events
To add colour to Genève Aéroport’s retail offer, many events were organised during the year. These took place at various locations in the airport and at the CFF shopping arcade. The ‘Best of Switzerland’ campaign presented many Swiss specialities, including chocolates, biscuits, writing instruments and watches, and was accompanied by games and competitions. Under the banner ‘Chocolate Celebration’, in which the
chocolate itself was star, events included workshops for children and handing out sweets, gifts and vouchers. For their part, the airport’s ‘foodlover visitors’ (‘les escales gourmandes’) were able to discover culinary specialities based around colours, through molecular cuisine shows, cooking workshops and special menus in restaurants.
Finally, at Christmas, gift ideas presented centred on clocks and watches, perfumes and decorations. In addition to these themed promotions, several events took place in the shops themselves, as well as on the central square located beyond security control. In this way the various brands showed off their latest collections to passengers, while also providing advice, offering gifts and sometimes holding competitions. Some retailers even brought in a motorcycle and aircraft to complete the scene. Genève Aéroport’s restaurants also concocted a cocktail of promotions, with a menu of live music, salsa evenings and introductory courses in various dances organised at the Montreux Jazz Café and on the terraces of the Jardins de Genève. All these efforts boosted restaurant and retail revenues by 2.8% in 2011, despite a weak economic climate across most of Europe and the strong Swiss franc. This result is encouraging as healthy retail is important, non-aeronautical revenues contributing a substantial share of Genève Aéroport’s profits. This income in turn enables the airport – which receives no public subsidy – to invest in modernising its infrastructure and funding its development. It also helps to maintain attractive aeronautical charges, which benefits Genève Aéroport’s air services and therefore the whole region.