Ettre: “One of the tasks in the planning of T2 is to increase the airport’s commercial activities and to considerably increase the space.”
Upon completion of the terminal extension in 2017, the floorspace dedicated to commercial activities at Oslo Airport will be more than doubled to 28,000sqm. The project, which is branded T2, will offer a timely capacity increase. The airport is currently designed to handle 17 million annual passengers, but throughput reached 21 million in 2011 and this number is expected to increase further this year.
“In terms of capacity, it is starting to get tight. We do still have enough space to handle these numbers, but there’s not enough space in the existing terminal to develop the commercial facilities,” Ettre explained. “One of the tasks in the planning of T2 is to increase the airport’s commercial activities and to considerably increase the space.”
One of the core benefits of the addition of T2 from a retail perspective is that all passengers will still be processed under a single roof, therefore maximising potential footfall for each of the retailers. As well as creating “more efficient shopping areas”, Ettre explained that the one terminal concept “is also more efficient overall for the passengers and the airlines”.
Heinemann Travel Value Fashion Shop opens at Oslo
As part of the ongoing development of the commercial facilities at Oslo Airport, the brand new Heinemann Travel Value Fashion Shop was opened in the International Pier in February.
The 230sqm store boasts a range of exciting brands, including the likes of Ray Ban, Oakley, Armani, Swarovski and Tommy Hilfiger.
The Heinemann Travel Value Fashion Shop uses three promotional areas to display seasonal products. For example, the opening weeks were focused on outdoor products, with promotions for Helly Hansen jackets, shoes and sweatshirts, while in the spring, the Drykorn and Belstaff brands are presenting the highlights from their latest collections.
Håkon Fjeld-Hansen, CEO of shop operator Travel Retail Norway, is pleased with the store’s good start: “We are proud to open the first Heinemann Travel Value Fashion Shop in Norway. It will contribute to the company’s further development, and we will have even more opportunities for expansion in the future.”
Travel Retail Norway has been active at Oslo-Gardermoen, Bergen, Kristiansand, Stavanger and Trondheim airports since 2004. The company, headquartered at Oslo-Gardermoen Airport, operates a total of six Tax & Duty Free shops and now three Travel Value shops and employs around 700 employees. Travel Retail Norway is a joint venture between German family-owned company Gebr. Heinemann – a major player in the global travel retail market – and Norwegian firm Validus.
Early interest
As the opening of T2 is still five years away, the tender process will not commence until 2015, but Ettre explained that a strong level of interest has already been expressed from various commercial parties. He said: “The operators that are already here, the likes of Heinemann and SSP, are very keen to continue their business at the airport and other international and local retail and food and beverage brands have shown an interest.”
Such interest is hardly surprising, as Oslo Airport invests a great amount of energy in ensuring that its relationship with each of the retailers remains strong. “We always try to work hard together with the operators,” Ettre explained. This is highlighted by the fact that the airport has a specific team dedicated to working with the operators on establishing common marketing and a common approach to encourage passenger spend. A smartphone app has also been developed for passengers, including a retail feature that highlights specific products and special offers that can be found in the duty free stores.
Upon the opening of T2 in 2017, the amount of space dedicated to commercial activities will be more than doubled to 28,000sqm.
T1 upgrades
While the commercial benefits of T2 will be realised in 2017 and beyond, the existing commercial facilities in Terminal 1 are constantly being upgraded. “We’re continuing to develop the walkthrough duty free in both arrivals and departures,” Ettre said. “Because of the tax level domestically in Norway, we give a high priority to duty free as that’s what the passenger wants. Of course, Norway is not a member of the European Union, so we can offer duty free sales for passengers travelling to all destinations, which is why Norwegian travellers tend to be very interested in duty free goods in the airport.”
Although the addition of the new retail space is still five years away, the continued development of existing commercial facilities and the eagerness of passengers to make the most of the duty free products will ensure that Oslo Airport’s commercial income continues to be boosted in the near term.
