Boarding card coupon to boost Zurich retailers

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On a special preview of the airport's Airside Center, which opens to the public tomorrow, airport authority Unique revealed its marketing plans to TRW

Zürich airport authority Unique is hoping an innovative retail voucher scheme will boost sales at its new Airside Center. The authority has signed a long-term agreement with a handling agent to present passengers at check-in with a ?boarding card to shop?, featuring promotions tailored to economy-, business- and first-class travellers.
 
Unique head of marketing and real estate Peter Eriksson took TRW on a tour of the facility, which comes into operation on September 15 and is open to the Zürich public for three days starting tomorrow. He explained how the airport marketing committee?comprised of himself and two other Unique executives along with representatives from two food and beverage firms and four retailers?aimed to run the scheme.
 
?We will begin the programme next week,? said Eriksson, ?and passengers will then be presented with two boarding cards at check-in?one to shop and one to fly. Special offers will be customised to the traveller, so charter and economy passengers may be offered three CDs for the price of two at Citydisc while a first-class flyer could be invited to a glass of champagne at the Bvlgari boutique. They will be handed to all passengers using the Airside Center, about 800,000 a month.?
 
Unique's marketing efforts for the new 12,000sq m (129,120sq ft) centre also include negotiating a special understanding with Customs to allow retailers to sell at duty-free prices to the non-travelling public for three days from Friday September 10, although the authority was not allowed to advertise the savings in it marketing material. Eriksson said he hoped prominent signage on the day would bring the offer to people's attention. ?It will be interesting to see their reaction when they notice the savings they can make,? he added.
 
Zürich's Airside Center offers 8,000sq m (86,080sq ft) of commercial space and involves around 18 retail partners operating 52 stores. The Nuance Group will operate duty-free at the facility.
 
See DFNI September 15 for more on the Airside Center.