Hudson Group opens first stores at Cleveland

Nicole Mezzasalma

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The retailer is part of the joint venture that won the tender to operate all 10 retail concessions at Cleveland Hopkins International airport

Master concessionaire BAA USA has awarded the tender to operate all 10 retail concessions at Cleveland Hopkins International airport (CLE) to a joint venture led by US travel retailer Hudson Group. The contract has a term of seven years, and four of the stores—a Hudson News convenience shop, Hudson Booksellers, a Discover Cleveland souvenir concept and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame store—are already open to the public.

Hudson Group president and CEO Joseph DiDomizio said: “The speed and accuracy of the turnover was impressive, and must have set some kind of record for our industry. Performance at this level is a capability that sets Hudson apart from other operators. I deeply appreciate the experience and can-do attitude of our operations team, working closely with our terrific business partners, the airport and BAA.”

BAA USA president Mark Knight added: “The Hudson team made the transition look easy. All the stores were open for business first thing Sunday [June 1] morning without a hitch. Existing inventory, new merchandise, IT systems, phone lines, cash registers and signage had all been carefully staged beforehand and set up overnight, so the stores were ready to begin serving customers at 5am.”

CLE airport director Ricky Smith concluded: “We are pleased to have such a top performing retailer set up shop in Cleveland Hopkins International airport. Hudson Group, along with BAA and the airport team, coordinated a flawless and seamless transition that did not impact the travelling public.”

The joint venture includes local operators United Concessions Group and English Concessions. Hudson Group operates over 500 stores at airports and major transportation centres in North America, which generate annual sales of over $630m.