BAA unveils new-look Scottish stores

John Rimmer

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The UK airports group has invested big sums in its retail operations at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports

BAA has unveiled a radical new look in its retail areas at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports in Scotland. The company has completed a new walk-through World Duty Free (WDF) store in the international departures area at Glasgow, its busiest Scottish airport at 8m passengers annually. It is also close to completing the expansion of the WDF outlet at Edinburgh, where it is also trialling a new sunglasses, jewellery and watches stand-alone concept. And it has completed the repositioning of its 175sq m (1,880sq ft) WDF store in Aberdeen to make it more visible to the airport's 1.6m domestic travellers.

BAA managing director UK airport retail Colin Hargrave said: "We're proud of all our airport retail developments, but especially so in Scotland. Retail is paramount in delighting our customers and there are some very special things happening in Scotland."

In Glasgow, the reconfiguration of the WDF store?completed just before Christmas?allowed the retailer to bring beauty brands to the fore. It has also clarified its tax-free offer?sunglasses, jewellery and watches?and introduced a World of Whiskies section to complement its liquor assortment. BAA retail director Scottish airports Robert Goodman said: "Everything suggests an increase in penetration in this store since opening. Bringing beauty forward has introduced a fundamental change and we're looking forward to a strong summer season."

In Edinburgh, BAA is to open an extended WDF liquor section at the end of March. In mid-December the retailer created a premium stand-alone sunglasses, jewellery and watches unit as part of the new walk-through store. The unit, which features brands such as Armani, Gucci, Pilgrim, Lola Rose and Dior jewellery, focuses on items in the £100-200 ($190-380) price range and has prompted a 30% sales uplift since opening. Caterer Eliance recently opened the UK's first Paul airport outlet at Edinburgh, offering premium patisserie items.

In Aberdeen, BAA has enjoyed a fivefold increase in spend among domestic passengers since the airport's WDF store was made more prominent. Further developments at the airport this year will include a revamped Baxters Scottish gifts store along with a further extension to the WDF outlet.

A full report on BAA's Scottish operations will appear in DFNI March 1.