Commercial development ‘critical’ to DAA growth

The DAA has embraced innovation in its retail offering, with the likes of The Irish Whiskey Collection, Chocolate Lounge and The Slaney Bar.

The DAA has embraced innovation in its retail offering, with the likes of The Irish Whiskey Collection, Chocolate Lounge and The Slaney Bar.

A total of 8,500sqm of the €600 million Terminal 2 is dedicated to commercial facilities and in keeping with Terminal 1 and the DAA-operated Cork and Shannon airports, the retail and F&B offering operates under the name ‘The Loop’ – the commercial branding that was unveiled last July.

‘The Loop’ is based upon specific principles. A commitment to quality, price and innovation is at the heart of the branding, while “de-mystifying” airport shopping, offering high quality customer service and a dynamic event programme are also core values.

“We aim to offer the best department store and shopping mall experience to the passenger and we’re dedicated to offering them well-known, quality brands,” Neeson explained. “We’ve tried to make it very customer focused. We spent a lot of time talking to our customers and what came back was that they were looking for good P&C (Perfume and Cosmetics) and great brands at the right price. It was also interesting that they made it clear that they were looking for good entertainment as well.”

While the demand for established international brands is satisfied with the likes of the Hugo Boss and Jo Malone fashion stores, Terminal 2 also boasts a specifically tailored local offering, through stores such as Irish Memories and House of Ireland.

Neeson explained: “There really was strong competition and this gave us the chance to carefully consider the type of offering we wanted for passengers using T2. In terms of F&B, we’ve brought in some of the best of our local brands and we’ve combined this with something more cosmopolitan and European as well.”

Innovative importance

The DAA’s retail and F&B offering operates under the name ‘The Loop’ – the commercial branding that was unveiled last July.

The DAA’s retail and F&B offering operates under the name ‘The Loop’ – the commercial branding that was unveiled last July.

The average Dublin Airport passenger passes through the airport six times a year and with this in mind, innovation has been identified as a key element of driving commercial revenue. Such examples of innovation are apparent in the likes of the Chocolate Lounge and The Irish Whiskey Collection, while The Slaney Bar offers panoramic views across Dublin city. The DAA also offers a ‘Click & Pick Up’ service for passengers who wish to purchase goods online before arriving at the airport, as well as the ‘Shop & Collect’ facility, for passengers who wish to collect their goods on the return journey.

While the average passenger dwell time in the retail area in Terminal 1 currently stands at nine minutes, the combination of high-quality international and local brands, along with the dedication to innovation, is aimed at doubling this for passengers using Terminal 2.

“Non-aeronautical revenues are absolutely critical to the DAA,” Neeson explained. “The landing charges at Dublin Airport are among the lowest in Europe and well below what you’d expect for an airport of this size. Generating commercial revenue is critical not just in terms of contributing to the cost of this new facility, but also for developing future business for the DAA.”

Having established a world-class commercial offering in the new T2, Neeson explained that attention will soon turn to Terminal 1 to ensure that the commercial facilities meet the newly-set benchmark.


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