Auckland reveals more detail on arrivals retail plans

Gavin Lipsith

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The airport has shed light on its preliminary plans for new retail space in its international arrivals area

Forbes told DFNI Asia that the new space would be the airport's first opportunity to add a purpose-built retail area in arrivals. The company is examining a broad range of products beyond the core duty-free categories, including a small selection of fashion items and accessories, as well as an improved electronics offer.

"Unlike Australia, where legislation restricts what categories can be sold in arrivals, in New Zealand we don't have those restrictions," said Forbes. "We have been conducting surveys, discussing the offer with retailers and also using a lot of what we know was successful before segregation [of arriving and departing international passengers in December 2005]."

The airport is yet to make a decision on which retailers will occupy the new space, or whether the area would be given to existing duty-free concessionaires DFS Group and The Nuance Group's New Zealand subsidiary Regency Duty Free. "We have not decided how we will procure a retailer for the new space or whether it will go to our current operators," said Forbes, "but we are in open discussions with our concessionaires and they are aware of the direction we are taking."

The airport's retail programme has been disrupted over the past six months as a result of construction work necessary to segregate arriving and departing passengers, and Forbes said that he hoped that retail results from last month and going forward would be more favourable.

DFS and Regency hold retail contracts at Auckland until September 2009.