Beirut Duty Free
Fast-track service for business travelers
Recently Beirut Duty Free partnered with Dior to stage a pop-up in the main atrium of departures
Expanding the perfumes and cosmetics category
Another interesting development at Beirut Airport is the introduction of a separate fast-track check-in area for business travelers in the main terminal. The airport authority introduced this project around eight months ago due to the rapid growth in passengers and the need to facilitate the check-in process. Work is expected to start in the coming two months and to be completed within a maximum period of four to six months. The airport authority has separated part of the existing Arrivals level in the main terminal and dedicated this space for the fasttrack project. Passengers will pass through security, check in and go up an escalator to
Beirut Duty Free has also expanded the space for perfumes and cosmetics by a total of 45 square meters, equivalent to a 10% increase in the shop space. Due to strict space constraints and tender complications, the operator was not able to develop this area as it had really wanted to in the past five years. However, it is planning to list new makeup brands such as Benefit, Nars, Bobbi Brown and Urban Decay, and is looking at expanding MAC and moving it to a new major location in the middle of the Departures terminal passenger pathway. The company is looking at other projects in expanding the premium Beirut Duty Free uses two fragrance offer with Jo Malone, Acqua di Parma, mobile carts that drive to the gates, offering the top Creed, Kilian and others. It is also planning items from tobacco, liquor, a major project with La Prairie by expanding fragrances and confectionery its space from 2 meters to 15 square meters, to include a service/consultation cabin. The retailer is seeing success with high-end fragrance lines, the Departures level, where they will immediately enter the duty as a number of brands have introduced to travel retail their free shops from the far west side of the fashion area, facing the private lines and/or collections which were previously boutiqueperfume shop. Bradshaw explains that this was one of the reasons only exclusives. “This trend is still continuing in our region and why the perfume shop was expanded exactly facing that entrance it seems to be more appealing than before to our consumers,” on the other side. he says. “Those [private lines] represented an incremental To cater to the growing number of business travelers, Beirut increase of business of an average 15% to their brands in our Duty Free is looking at reviewing the current fashion brand shops. Again, we wanted to be more serious about our offer by distribution and adding new brands to its offer. “Those passenintroducing more premium brands that are available elsewhere gers have very high spending power and are mainly looking for in major duty free shops and we missed out on because of the premium or exclusive brands,” observes Bradshaw. He adds that retail space limitations.” the majority of business travelers will be Lebanese customers. Turning to the passenger mix, Beirut Duty Free’s Lebanese As a result of the fast-track expansion, the retailer is also travelers represent around 70% of passengers, with many of them reviewing its selection of jewelry, watches and accessories, and holding two nationalities, living or working abroad and visiting might expand some standalone spaces it has for brands such as Lebanon frequently or in the holiday season. Over the past eight Montblanc. This department store features several categories and years the passenger mix for other nationalities has changed. The “super corners” for some brands, says Bradshaw. operator saw a drop in the number of GCC tourists, which negatively impacted some luxury categories and premium products, Space doubled at last-minute shops while it saw a significant increase in Syrians, Iraqis and other Currently, Beirut Duty Free has two main last-minute stores, Arab nationalities from outside the GCC region. As a result, sales three smaller shops and two mobile carts that reach the gates. in tobacco, confectionery and fragrances benefited from this They offer a top-selling product range of tobacco, liquor, confecchange, says Bradshaw. tionery, fragrances and some electronics accessories. 12 GULF-AFRICA DUTY FREE & TRAVEL RETAILING NOVEMBER 2018