In the past year, Lagardère Travel Retail said it had focused on the ambitious Venice Airport extension, with the development of activities across all the company’s business lines. The combined opening of a new Aelia Duty Free flagship walk-through store, fashion and ‘travel essentials’ shops, plus food & beverage units reflect the company’s strategy of building the business across its main pillars.
The new commercial area at the northern Italian gateway now includes five restaurants, one flagship duty free shop, three retail stores and three fashion shops.
Lagardère Travel Retail acts as the master concessionaire at Venice Airport, and effectively manages almost all the retail and F&B space at the location. It acts both as franchising operator and as the manager of retail spaces on behalf of the airport.
Healthy eating outlet Natoo is one of the highlights of the new foodservice openings.
“The joint venture established in 2014 between SAVE (the company managing Venice Marco Polo Airport) and Lagardère Travel Retail was instrumental to the Venetian airport’s development,” explained Lagardère Travel Retail COO for Europe Middle East and Africa Frédéric Chevalier.
“The guiding principle was to provide the airport with a unique support, offering the best of Venice and Italy, while adapting to the different and changing customer profiles and catering for all the transformation phases of the airport.”
The C. Coffee Lovers concept is tailored to a predominantly international target but blended with Italian expertise.
SAVE Group CEO Monica Scarpa commented: “The new commercial area inaugurated today demonstrates the efficiency of the joint venture between SAVE and Lagardère Travel Retail.
“The attention of our company to the quality of services and the constant commitment to develop solutions that meet the needs of our airport guests, combined with the international experience of Lagardère Travel Retail, have produced a result that raises the level of Marco Polo’s commercial offer. It fits well into the elegant architectural context of the terminal.”
Emporio del Grano in the landside area offers both table service and self-service options.
The 1,200sq m Aelia Duty Free walk-through unit at Venice Marco Polo Airport sticks to four principles laid down by its existing ‘next generation’ stores:
– Here and Nowhere Else: Designing a store and offer exclusive to Venice Airport with the presence of numerous Italian brands such as Pallini, Bvlgari, Acqua Di Parma, Dolce & Gabbana, Diego Dalla Palma, Trussardi and Armani among them; plus Venetian inspiration throughout the store, especially in the area of Italian fine food and wines.
– Facilitation: Easy navigation throughout the store thanks to, for example, numerous flight screens in-store and a clear pathway through the store.
– The Art of the Gift: Highlighting the opportunity to passengers to create a gift with a gift-wrapping service offered at the cash desk.
– From a customer to a guest: A bespoke special service to welcome and assist travellers using the Aelia Duty Free store.
The new foodservice outlets operated by Lagardère Travel Retail include: Emporio del Grano in the landside area offering table service and self-service; Natoo, a 130sq m healthy eating outlet; Rustichelli & Mangione, a modern twist on traditional Italian cuisine; C. Coffee Lovers, a concept tailored to a predominantly international target but blended with Italian expertise; and Torrefazione Canareggio, a typical Venetian coffee shop where refined quality blends are the order of the day.
Commenting on the fast-growing food offer, Lagardère Travel Retail Italy CEO Lucio Rossetto stated: “In fine food, Lagardère has interpreted the specifics of the Italian tradition with a dedicated Italian team and dedicated formats. In Venice, the ‘Bottega dei Sapori’ concept is a tangible example of this.
“Every airport in Italy needs to respond to specific needs and create a unique offer in the eyes of the traveller. The chain and one-size-fits-all approach is no longer possible. Emporio del Grano, Natoo, C. Coffee Lovers and Rustichelli & Mangione are examples of such an approach.”
Travel Essentials includes both a new concept format and a renovated Relay store. In June, World of Venice was also inaugurated after a restyling. It offers locally-produced or locally-famous gift items such as masks and Murano glass objects. “World of Venice is a souvenir-format store that is inspired by Venetian history, craft and culture including sought-after Murano glass,” said Rossetto.
World of Venice offers locally-produced or locally-famous gift items such as masks and Murano glass objects.
Chevalier concluded: “The main objective for Lagardère Travel Retail is to keep up with new trends by inventing, creating and designing original and innovative concepts to always be a pioneer and a role model in the travel retail sector.”
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