Frankfurt airport unveils new-look Shopping Avenue

Dermot Davitt

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Geared towards a younger audience and with a mid-priced offer, the former Skyline Arcade re-opens with a fresh mix of tenants

Frankfurt International airport has reopened its terminal one landside shopping area with a radical new tenant and product mix. Called the Shopping Avenue, the area formerly known as the Skyline Arcade is geared towards a younger target audience and emphasises what airport authority Fraport terms "an intermediate price range". Remodelling of the space took about six months and has been completed in time for this summer's football World Cup.

The Shopping Avenue covers 1,445sq m (15,550sq ft) of retail space, with new architecture and a fresh lighting concept. A key feature is the orange colour-coding of the walkway, designed to lead shoppers through the Avenue.

Tenants include Nike, which has opened its first and only shop at a German airport; a fashion and accessories concept called More & More targeting a youth audience; leathergoods brand Bree; watch retailer Christ; popular fashion retailer Burresi; books and news outlet Relay, the 16th such store at the airport; and Starbucks coffee shop, the first at a German airport.

Fraport said the new area provided a shopping atmosphere that was "fresh, dynamic and innovative".

The Shopping Avenue opened on January 26 and is the first phase of an extensive commercial refit planned at Frankfurt. Also in T1 landside, the upmarket fashion area called the Ladengalerie is being remodelled and should open by April. By 2010 Fraport aims to almost double shopping space at the airport, to 25,000sq m (269,000sq ft).