Meridian plots expansion drive

Tina Milton

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The Italian operator is to open additional outlets at Cagliari-Elmas airport and in Venice

Italian travel retailer Meridian Duty Free is to increase its shop portfolio from two to five outlets this year, the operator has revealed.

The company will open a 65sq m (700sq ft) duty-paid shop at Sardinia's newly-renovated Cagliari-Elmas International airport in July. It will then open a further 113sq m (1,215sq m) duty-free shop in Cagliari in September. More than 1.1m travellers travelled through the airport in 2004.

In Venice, where Meridian owns a 95% holding in Venice Duty Free the company plans to extend its shop at the San Basilio harbour terminal in September. The 9sq m (96sq ft) store is to be expanded by 18sq m (193sq ft) to extend its product offer, and an additional duty-free shop of about 30sq m (322sq ft) will be opened at terminal 103 in September.

Meridian operates a distribution business in the Italian duty-free sector and supplies goods to airports, port shops, cruise and ferry lines, military and international organisations, and diplomatic corporations and embassies.

See DFNI July 1, out next week, for more on Meridian Duty Free