Barcelona buzz. Aldeasa s ambition. underpins. inside this issue

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Aldeasa s ambition underpins Barcelona buzz Reach, Reliability, Respect ISSUE 42 JULY 2009 Business commentary and analysis of key developments in the global duty free and travel retail industry for

1 Aldeasa s ambition underpins Barcelona buzz Reach, Reliability, Respect ISSUE 42 JULY 2009 Business commentary and analysis of key developments in the global duty free and travel retail industry for readers of The Moodie Report. All advertisements brought to you with Moodie Interactivity. The Moodie Report PLUS is published by Moodie International. Please direct any comments to Martin Moodie by Martin@TheMoodieReport.com Back issues can be found at inside this issue A departure from design tradition...2 Supplier soundbites...3 The Arrivals shopping opportunity...4 Áreas tailors its offer....5 Flexibility is the key...6 Capturing the Catalan flavour...7 Simplifying the assortment...8 Picture gallery...9 Editor s Introduction: Let s go, says Pedro Castro. Like all good films, what you are about to see starts well and then gets better. Aldeasa s National Operations Director for Spain is leading us on a tour of the new Terminal 1 at Barcelona El Prat Airport, just one day after it was inaugurated by Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. For Aldeasa, and for the terminal, it is opening day, and to mark the occasion I m here with a number of Castro s senior Aldeasa colleagues Commercial Director Eugenio Andrades; Technical Director Fernando Nadal; Deputy National Operations Director Angeles Montesdeoca; Regional Director of Catalonia Jordi Bret; and Head of Corporate Communications Marisa Guilarte. We re here to view not only the muchanticipated new terminal but also the Spanish travel retailer s ambitious and diverse shopping offer. As the lead retail tenant Aldeasa will operate eight stores (seven have opened so far) at T1, representing a 4 million investment and covering some 2,480sq m in the Las Tiendas del Aeropuerto shopping complex run by airport authority Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegatión Aérea (AENA) in both Arrivals and Departures. The Aldeasa stores form the fulcrum of a diverse commercial offer that includes 81 shops and food & beverage establishments a total that eventually will be extended to 73 shops and 43 bars and restaurants. That commercial offer is in turn integral to the attraction of the spectacular new gateway to Catalonia. T1 is designed to boost El Prat s capacity from 25 million to 55 million, but it is also intended to be so much more. Barcelona the capital of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia is one of Europe s great cities, enjoying huge importance in cultural and commercial terms (and of course sport, given Barcelona s recent triumph in football s UEFA Champions League). It is synonymous with the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner many of them designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Such a great city deserves a great airport. In Terminal 1, AENA thinks it has created just that. And Aldeasa thinks it has complemented that status. Let s take a look.

Some 32 years ago Spanish travel retailer Aldeasa opened a 600sq m duty free store at Barcelona El Prat Airport.

Before the opening of T1, Aldeasa operated 15 stores at El Prat, covering some 2,970sq m.

Aldeasa s stores (seven at present) are led by The Shop, two outlets of 1,055sq m and 526sq m which offer core duty free categories (perfumes & cosmetics, beverages, food and confectionery, tobacco

2 Some 32 years ago Spanish travel retailer Aldeasa opened a 600sq m duty free store at Barcelona El Prat Airport. The company then state-owned, now part of the burgeoning Autogrill retailto-food & beverage empire has come a long way since, both at the Catalan gateway and internationally. Before the opening of T1, Aldeasa operated 15 stores at El Prat, covering some 2,970sq m. The eight new stores in the terminal will all but double that space, underlining the size of and ambition behind the new outlets. Aldeasa s stores (seven at present) are led by The Shop, two outlets of 1,055sq m and 526sq m which offer core duty free categories (perfumes & cosmetics, beverages, food and confectionery, tobacco and accessories). Destination merchandise always an Aldeasa strength, both at home and abroad finds its expression in Thinking Barcelona (dedicated to Catalan produce). The Express Shop (two stores) is a lastminute duty free/travel retail concept, and the soon-to-be-opened Tous & Watches outlet will feature powerful Catalan brand Tous and upscale watches from the likes of Longines, TAG Heuer, Baume & Mercier, Ck and Tissot. Aldeasa has focused heavily on core categories in the main stores, supported by a carefully honed specialist range in The Shop is Aldeasa s core retail offer, focused on fragrances & cosmetics, wines and spirits, tobacco, confectionery and accessories the others and an outstanding destination merchandise execution. The retailer was keen to lay down a quality marker in Barcelona, presenting a retail offer that mirrored the excellence and elegance of the terminal. Certainly its main stores represent a departure from tradition in terms of design, colour and style. Given Barcelona s avant-garde reputation as a world design capital, the retailer has opted to use simple colours (mainly black and white), and given considerable emphasis to digital promotion (plasma and LED screens). For once Aldeasa s trademark yellow is nowhere to be seen. The stores are very much a work in progress much of the hoped-for personalisation won t happen till later in the year but it s already a much more contemporary approach than you ll see The Moodie Report Publisher Martin Moodie (second from right) tours the new terminal in Barcelona with Aldeasa executives (from left) Jordi Bret, Eugenio Andrades, Fernando Nadal, Pedro Castro and Angeles Montesdeoca 2

The spectacular terminal building offers the vibrant city of Barcelona the dazzling gateway it deserves at any other Aldeasa store anywhere in the world.

Not only is Spain the company s corporate, commercial and spiritual homeland and Barcelona one of its most glamorous locations, but the company is also fighting hard to retain its Spanish airport

3 The spectacular terminal building offers the vibrant city of Barcelona the dazzling gateway it deserves at any other Aldeasa store anywhere in the world. Barcelona brings together proven elements from locations such as Vancouver and Madrid airports, but has a modernist edge reflective of Barcelona s traditions. Aldeasa needed to do well here. Not only is Spain the company s corporate, commercial and spiritual homeland and Barcelona one of its most glamorous locations, but the company is also fighting hard to retain its Spanish airport duty free dominance in the face of a long-touted tender at most AENA airports. Modern, functional and easy It s always exciting to view a new terminal for the first time, and El Prat T1 doesn t disappoint. Outside, a vast canopy reminiscent of a giant aircraft wing (above) offers welcome shade as we arrive at the terminal on a blazing hot summer s day. Terminal 1 soundbites Barcelona s new Terminal 1 is a large, bright and luminous space designed with people in mind and with a clear objective: functionality. From the conception of the 544,000sq m terminal the passenger was placed centre stage, and the end result is a nice balance of the operational and the commercial. Certainly the new terminal has met with the warm approval of leading suppliers (also see page 7). Notes Puig Travel Retail General Manager Patrick Bouchard, whose company enjoys a powerful presence in the Aldeasa stores: The new T1 is good news for Spain and Catalonia as it reveals some stunning retail concepts. At Puig we are delighted with this ambitious project as Barcelona is our home town. In today s challenging times, the fact that investments continue is an encouraging sign for the travel retail industry and proves that the basis is solid. Kristoffer Pipusch, International Travel Retail Manager for Spanish wine producer Miguel Torres, agrees. The new terminal is really fantastic. It was a great pleasure to fly out during opening day. Everything was well organised and of upmost importance the terminal is really easy to access or to exit by either car or train, so the location of the terminal is well planned. The building itself is state-of-the-art the architect has been able to combine futuristic features with the accessibility that is so important for travellers. Aldeasa and the other store operators have managed to utilise the space in the shopping square to its maximum. Aldeasa, especially, has done a fantastic job to open a store that will create sales for all its suppliers. The wines and spirits sections are well designed and they draw buyers down into the main store. Torres has a great exposure of our products. 3

Inside the first impressions are of light, modernism and space. The roof is not as high as some other recent terminal developments, helping to lend an accessible rather than austere ambience.

The human scale and dimension is very appropriate.

And it s not simply lip service: they truly believe that the partnership between airport authority and retailer has paid dividends here.

4 Inside the first impressions are of light, modernism and space. The roof is not as high as some other recent terminal developments, helping to lend an accessible rather than austere ambience. The building itself is fantastic as well as the commercial offer, says Castro. Commercial Director Eugenio Andrades is equally enthusiastic. It s modern, functional and easy, he says of the terminal. The human scale and dimension is very appropriate. Both are quick to praise the vision and contribution of AENA, which they say has played a crucial role in the successful execution of the new building. And it s not simply lip service: they truly believe that the partnership between airport authority and retailer has paid dividends here. The terminal s commercial offer, spread over two levels, benefits from a single, centralised security area. As we clear security on the top level, there are splendid panoramic views to the main commercial areas below in the Schengen zone. In the distance, behind the shops and restaurants, a kilometre stretch to the furthest gates beckons all whiteness and natural light. Through the glass we gaze down over the giant Sky Plaza a vast, elegant courtyard that includes most of the stores and food & beverage outlets. Top-class trinity: The Jewellery & Gifts store offers three in-demand brands: Swarovski, Folli Follie and local favourite Majorica Interestingly arriving and departing flows merge here, offering Aldeasa and the other retailers a significant Arrivals business. Recognising that opportunity, Aldeasa has a dedicated cashier for arriving travellers in its main store below allowing them to pay for their items quickly before exiting the terminal. And so our tour begins. It s a brave retailer that arranges a media visit on the first day of trading, as inevitably there are numerous fixes that need to be made in terms of fittings, signage and so on. Such is the case with Aldeasa s stores, where much of the anticipated brand personalisation in perfumes & cosmetics, for example is due to be finalised soon. But the retailer is rightly confident in its own story. It s the big picture that matters here. Aldeasa is historically a low-profile company, but it knows it has Famous Five: Men s Fashion has a focused offer Lacoste, Timberland, Hugo Boss, Gant and Calvin Klein Jeans 4

Áreas provides the complete business solution Leading Spanish retail and food & beverage services provider Áreas has opened 15 new stores at Barcelona El Prat s new Terminal 1.

It also operates 145 vending machines and two staff canteens. Áreas manages 3,289sq m of space (2,499sq m of retail and the rest F&B) in T1.

and television. Brands on offer here include Imaginarium and TUC TUC. The company also offers many other concepts.

5 Áreas provides the complete business solution Leading Spanish retail and food & beverage services provider Áreas has opened 15 new stores at Barcelona El Prat s new Terminal 1. The company is the largest concessionaire at the new terminal, having been awarded 15 shop outlets and five food & beverage concessions last October. It also operates 145 vending machines and two staff canteens. Áreas manages 3,289sq m of space (2,499sq m of retail and the rest F&B) in T1. The company has developed two new concepts specifically for the new terminal: Secrets Sucrés is a new confectionery concept, and Story Store is dedicated to characters from the world of comics, film and television. Brands on offer here include Imaginarium and TUC TUC. The company also offers many other concepts. Women s fashion and accessories are represented by brands such as Adolfo Dominguez and Aïta, while its sports range includes Ferrari and Adidas stores. Further outlets include Sibarium and Farga, which offer local delicacies, and gift and travel items are available at Piquadro and Travelmate. Other Áreas staples include News & Books, Divers and The Airport Market. Among the food & beverage concepts it operates are La Pausa, Medas and Medas Beer. We are truly pleased and excited with the opening of this new terminal, as well as the launch of our new establishments, says Áreas CEO José Gabriel Martín. Barcelona Airport is very special for us because this is where we opened our first Divers shop in 1992 the cornerstone on which we have built a network of 185 shops in airports around the world. We consider the airport as unique, offering exclusive and appropriate retail articles, he continues. We carefully examined AENA s requirements and closely studied travellers profiles and behaviour to propose a completely tailor-made and specific business solution for the airport. raised its game in Barcelona and is keen to showcase the fact. Before we even begin to assess the retail offer, it s impossible not to be wowed by the magnificent terminal building. From the soft, curvaceous expanse of its arching structure to the quite lovely central Sky Plaza where much of the commercial activity takes place, this is an airport to be enjoyed, instead of (as so often) escaped from. The copious natural light just adds to the overall impression that this is indeed a very Mediterranean gateway. Barcelona is not only a beautiful city, it is also a great cultural one. It is synonymous with modernism, largely thanks to the prodigious output of one of its favourite sons, Antoni Gaudí. The great master of architecture produced nearly all of his work in the capital of Catalonia, and due homage has been paid to his influence not just in the majesty of the terminal but even within the retail offer (Thinking Barcelona). Andrades is particularly hopeful for the destination business. This will be a killer category for us, he says. Our first stop though is the duty free and travel retail store on the same level as A taste of Barcelona: Aldeasa has always been a champion of the concept of Sense of Place and that principle is reflected in a very strong destination merchandise offer 5

These gondolas in the Thinking Barcelona store pay homage to the city s favourite son, Antonio Gaudí security, which serves long-haul and UK flights.

Notes Nadal: The idea here was to create a very neutral shop so we used primary colours mainly black and white as eventually most of it will be personalised.

There s extensive use of glass in the fittings (white for perfumes & cosmetics, black for spirits) which not only looks good but has the advantage of flexibility.

6 These gondolas in the Thinking Barcelona store pay homage to the city s favourite son, Antonio Gaudí security, which serves long-haul and UK flights. It s a clean, neatly merchandised and clearly segmented store. Notes Nadal: The idea here was to create a very neutral shop so we used primary colours mainly black and white as eventually most of it will be personalised. But the key to the store is its flexibility. A change of passenger profile can be absorbed painlessly and, say, tobacco or fragrances easily increased at the expense of another category. There s extensive use of glass in the fittings (white for perfumes & cosmetics, black for spirits) which not only looks good but has the advantage of flexibility. There s a lot of glass so you can use a lot of advertising and promotions to keep the shop alive, says Nadal. Screens above the cash points (themselves newly designed) tell the traveller which aisles are open, as well as featuring special offers. Offers can also be programmed to the particular profile of a flight. Careful category management has been integral to the assortment and the allocated space, Andrades points out. We ve been simplifying the assortment, he says. Basically this shop is core categories including destination merchandise as well as three non-core categories: luggage, sunglasses and lower-end watches. That s how we want to keep it This panooramic image looks down from the post-security level to one of the terminal s many food & beverage offers 6

Wine, so often the poor relation of airport duty free shops, gets suitably dedicated treatment at Barcelona s new terminal. There s a great range of the country s best wines and vintages on offer.

Tobacco enjoys a big presence in this store, driven by the high British spend (the UK flights depart from nearby gates).

7 Wine, so often the poor relation of airport duty free shops, gets suitably dedicated treatment at Barcelona s new terminal. There s a great range of the country s best wines and vintages on offer. simplified for peaks and troughs, and also not to compete against other categories (in other airport stores). Tobacco enjoys a big presence in this store, driven by the high British spend (the UK flights depart from nearby gates). Terminal-wide the biggest spend comes from Spaniards, followed by British, then Russians; but the latter have the highest spend per transaction by a long distance. Brilliant exuberance Now it s time to ride down the escalator and into the vastness of the Sky Plaza, all glimmering white roof and natural light above, underlain by black tiles below, ringed by shops, and with a nicely placed catering offer in the centre. Capturing the Catalan flavour Terminal 1 is a contemporary expression of a historic city, one which emphatically embraces the concept of Sense of Place. The Olympic Games in 1992 made Barcelona an international tourism destination, notes Claudia Philippi, International Area Director for powerful Spanish wine producer Grupo Codorníu. But it was known that the limits of El Prat s capacity would be reached in a few years. Thus the airport was not in line with the international standards it should have had. And the popularity of Barcelona grew faster than expected. With the recently opened new Terminal 1, Barcelona is proving in a clear way that it wants to play in the world league of international airports. It offers professional services to passengers from all over the world, and has direct connections to major international cities. Once all the stores are completed passengers will enjoy a very good shopping environment, finding an offer of international brands but also having access to an interesting choice of domestic/local brands and products as a nice souvenir of their visit to Barcelona and Spain. 7

As soon as passengers step off the escalator, Aldeasa s flagship 1,056sq m duty free store is immediately to the left.

It s a suitably edgy sound for a store that has plenty of the same hallmarks, with its stark colours and dressed-down feel.

We re focused on core categories and we also have toys, travel accessories and sunglasses. That s it, and it s very coherent.

8 As soon as passengers step off the escalator, Aldeasa s flagship 1,056sq m duty free store is immediately to the left. As we step inside the open-fronted and sided store Bob Dylan s Workingman s Blues #2 is playing over the sound system. It s a suitably edgy sound for a store that has plenty of the same hallmarks, with its stark colours and dressed-down feel. The main characteristics here are an open store and we re focusing on the right space and the right exposure for the brands we work with, says Andrades. We re focused on core categories and we also have toys, travel accessories and sunglasses. That s it, and it s very coherent. Although there is little personalisation to date, notably in the beauty area, Andrades insists that it is just a matter of time. The intention is to eventually have a fully personalised store and it will happen, he says. The low ceilings have influenced the design considerably. Blue spot lighting shines out of the black ceiling, whose starkness is further alleviated by a speckled white effect. The store spans 30m from front to back and (standardised) fixtures have been kept consistently low to maintain sight lines and avoid any feeling of clutter. There s a fabulous wines area featuring a AENA s overarching shopping brand, Las Tiendas del Aeropuerto, enjoys prominence throughout T1 diverse range of Spanish wines. National producer Torres is to the fore with a powerful promotion for its new Celeste line (the company s first Ribera del Duero). We sold 15 bottles this morning that s what promotion does, says Castro. Andrades pays tribute to a number of brands including Torres, Ferrero and Puig which have supported the opening of the stores with special promotions despite the terminal initially only handling around 20% of its planned traffic. From The Shop we cross Sky Plaza to Thinking Barcelona, featuring a wide range of souvenirs, books, glassware, T-shirts, gifts and accessories ranging from entry-level to more premium items. The quirkily, brightly coloured gondolas pay tasteful respect to the Gaudí influence. Here we become a local retailer, says Andrades. It s very important. Men s Fashion is a neat and tidy store focusing on just five brands Lacoste, Timberland, Hugo Boss, Gant and Calvin Klein Jeans. It s a simplified shop with five brands, where we would probably have had ten in the past, says Andrades. The 50sq m Jewellery & Gifts outlet is even more pared down, offering just three brands Swarovski, Folli Follie and Spanish favourite Majorica. Elsewhere near the gates Aldeasa also offers two Express stores, offering what Castro describes as the core of the core business what is it you want if you are really in a hurry? from perfumes, wines, spirits, food and tobacco. Later we take a quick tour of the older Terminal 2, from which I depart for London. T2 was built for the Barcelona Olympics of Today it looks much older compared with the brilliant exuberance of T1. The comparison underlines just how quickly airports and retail move on. Personalisation in practice: Belgian fine chocolate brand Godiva is showcased in style in the main duty free store 8

Picture gallery A sense of space: Note the striking black and white colours

create an elegant and roomy in-store environment in keeping with the ambience

mixing international, national and regional brands Promotional vehicle:

9 Picture gallery A sense of space: Note the striking black and white colours inside the main store and the way Aldeasa has offset a very low ceiling to create an elegant and roomy in-store environment in keeping with the ambience of Terminal 1 Aldeasa focuses on core categories in its mainstream offer, mixing international, national and regional brands Promotional vehicle: Barcelona-based Puig s distinctive Carolina Herrera promotion was a highlight of opening day 9

Strong consumer connect is the essence of brand value.

BRAND VALUE Strong consumer connect is the essence of brand value. WHEN CONSUMERS SPEAKING DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, LIVING IN DIFFERENT TIME ZONES, WITH DISTINCT CULTURES REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR BRAND AND THE