Phoenix and Aelia team up at Paris CDG

John Rimmer

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Two of France's leading travel retailers, HFP Phénix and Aelia, are to create a new joint venture company to run the duty-free fashion concession at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport's new terminal E, set to open on June 17 2003

Phénix will hold 75% of shares in the as yet unnamed venture, and will have responsibility for day-to-day management and purchasing decisions.

Phénix won the tender for the terminal E fashion contract earlier this year, and will operate five stores covering nearly 600sq m (6,400sq ft) of retail space. Phénix president Gilles Hervier told TRW: "We are very pleased to be working with Aelia and happy to be back at Paris CDG, where we had a monopoly on fashion sales in the past. The new terminal is spectacular and there is considerable potential for retail."

Of the five fashion outlets in terminal E, two will be branded stores covering 90sq m (968sq ft) each. One will feature Hermes, while the other will offer both Salvatore Ferragamo and Hugo Boss fashionwear. The remaining stores will feature specialist retail concepts under the Printemps fascia, according to an agreement Phénix signed with the French department store chain. These shops are City Chic, spanning 198sq m (2,130sq ft); Sport Techno sportswear (153sq m/1,646sq ft); and Casual Leisure (63sq m/678sq ft).

Meanwhile, Phénix has also been confirmed as the operator of the duty-free fashion contract at Lyon St-Exupéry airport, with stores due to open on November 5. The retailer is also bidding to operate one of the remaining airside fashion boutiques at Nice airport's new terminal two. The airport authority expects to announce the result later this month.