Luton London Airport has launched a major new commercial tender programme for its redeveloped retail area, which will form part of an ambitious £100 million (€140m) airport-wide renovation. The remodelled terminal will feature a retail and dining space of more than 8,700sqm – double the size of the existing facility, and including a flagship 1,700sqm walkthrough duty free store.
London Luton Airport’s renovated commercial area will be divided into four distinct zones – Luxury, Affordable Luxury, High Street and Food & Beverage – comprising more than 7,000sqm, in addition to a 1,700sqm walkthrough duty free store.
The airport, which handled a record 10.5 million passengers in 2014, is expanding to meet burgeoning passenger demand, and when the development of its terminal is complete will see capacity grow from 12 million to 18 million travellers annually. Security facilities will be enlarged from 12 to 18 lanes and repositioned on the ground floor to provide passengers with a more streamlined experience on entering the airport, and deliver additional first-floor space for the improved retail offering.
“Our most important objective is to really work on the experience for our passengers, so that they make the positive decision to choose London Luton Airport when they fly,” Commercial Director Rupert Lawrie told Airport Business. “More and more, as our public travel so much their expectations grow higher, both in retail and catering, and we’re confident that we’re going to deliver a real ‘wow’ experience from when they enter the terminal.”
“The shape of our terminal means that every passenger gets to see every part of our offer,” Rupert Lawrie, Luton Airport’s Commercial Director, explained. “There’s no quiet area of the terminal because everybody can walk – and hopefully shop – the entire area.”
The commercial area will be divided into four distinct zones – Luxury, Affordable Luxury, High Street and Food & Beverage, and while the final design, look and feel of each zone is yet to be confirmed, Lawrie explained, the approach will offer retailers the best adjacencies for their brands, and maximise the impact of each store.
London Luton’s commercial tender for its 43 available units will be separated into three tranches, set to take place in April, July and September. In this initial phase the airport has already begun receiving interest in the four unit areas announced so far – a convenience store, a bread-led offer, a pub and a restaurant airside – and has, Lawrie said, been delighted by the responses it has received. “I think it really talks about how brands are really keen to get the right exposure in a major airport.” The initial phases will cover design and contractual sign off before moving on to the financial elements.
The winning operator of the 1,700sqm walkthrough tax & duty free store meanwhile will be announced next week.
Lawrie explained that the airport’s renewed retail and food & beverage offers will be characterised by a number of firsts for London Luton, which has in the past partnered with brands not previously present in an airport environment. Hotel Chocolat, for example, opened its first airport store at the gateway in 2012, while the London-staple, Japanese sushi and bento restaurant Wasabi, will open its first airport location at Luton next month.
Luton Airport has embraced a number of airport firsts within its retail and culinary offer. Hotel Chocolat, for example, opened its first airport store at the gateway in 2012, while the London-staple, Japanese sushi and bento restaurant Wasabi, will open its first airport location at Luton next month.
Brands such as Wasabi, Lawrie said, create sense of place within the terminal – bringing a flavour of the London high street airside. “That’s what our consumers really want. And one of the exciting areas that we’ll be working on is food & beverage, because there is so much we can do to deliver something dead centre on what our customers want. In the new set up 40% of our space will be dedicated to food & beverage,” he explained. “In the last five years there has been an explosion of really high quality brands in dining, and consumers are growing more demanding in terms of the type and category of food that they want to eat – much more focused on that artisan, high quality approach. It’s great working when you’ve got a high expectation from your customers to try and meet.”
Shortly after Easter the airport will open its state-of-the-art Aspire Executive Lounge and spa – a £1 million (€1.4m) facility that is home to innovations such as ‘snooze pods’.
Construction works on the airport’s £100 million transformation will begin in the second quarter of this year, when the development of a dual carriageway coming into and leaving the airport will get underway, alongside a new 1,500-space multi-storey car park, linked and covered walkways, a large external glazed piazza area, an additional passenger boarding pier and new surface car parks. During the same period, the airport’s security facility will be relocated to the ground floor – due to be completed in the fourth quarter.
London Luton’s commercial tender for the 43 available units will be separated into three tranches, set to take place in April, July and September. In this initial phase the airport has already begun receiving offers for PQQs in four unit areas – a convenience store, a bread-led offer, a pub and a restaurant airside.
Shortly after Easter meanwhile, the airport will open its state-of-the-art Aspire Executive Lounge and spa – a £1 million (€1.4m) facility that is home to innovations such as ‘snooze pods’. The new duty free contract operator will begin its operations in December, while the most significant of the shopping areas – the Luxury zone – is due to be opened in June next year.
A completely new ground floor landside retail and food & beverage offer will allow the airport to set the tone with passengers from their first interaction, providing a brand new space that can deliver an enticing offer to accommodate the anticipated future passenger growth.
A major redesign of the terminal will create a quick, efficient, friendly and convenient passenger experience, as well as exciting new shopping and eating options and the development of a new world-class executive lounge. Major improvements to transport links, including better road access to the M1, new car parking facilities, a remodelled bus and coach interchange and improved rail links will also take place.
