BNE renews partnership with Lotte Duty Free at Brisbane Airport
“Capturing the flavour of Brisbane”: A major terminal redevelopment includes doubling the duty free footprint
Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) has announced the renewal of its partnership with Lotte Duty Free, with the retailer securing an additional 10-year lease for the duty free concession at Brisbane Airport.
The announcement comes after a competitive tender for the 10-year partnership, during which there will be a major terminal redevelopment and doubling of the duty free footprint.
Lotte Duty Free is the incumbent duty free partner, commencing operations in the International Terminal in March 2019. The new lease will officially commence on February 1, 2024.
Gert-Jan de Graaff, CEO, Brisbane Airport, said he was delighted to renew the partnership with a valued partner of the airport. “Lotte Duty Free is clearly aligned to our values of communication, care, courage and collaboration, and to our sustainability focus, with sustainable design elements included throughout the future store and a focus on waste management.
“This alignment, coupled with an incredibly exciting store concept showcasing the future of duty free retail, and a commitment to evolve the customer experience over time, makes them a great partner for Brisbane Airport over the exciting decade ahead as the world comes to visit.”
Martin Ryan, Executive General Manager of Commercial, Brisbane Airport, added, “We were incredibly impressed with the caliber of responses we received to our Duty Free Request for Proposals (RFP), with the operators clearly as excited as we are about the growth and possibilities at Brisbane Airport.
“The key criteria we looked at as part of the process was around four pillars: evolving, welcoming, sustainable and place. Lotte Duty Free not only expertly addressed these criteria, but also impressed in the areas of technology and innovation, new brands, experiential retail and creating a space which is ‘uniquely Brisbane.’
"We are excited about some Australian first initiatives in the store design and what our teams can deliver together over the life of the partnership.”
The 10-year deal will trade through three distinct phases, seeing the current 2,795-sqm footprint across arrivals and departures expand to a 3,900-sqm departures store, 1,056-sqm arrivals store, ‘Last Chance’ store and 38-sqm atrium retail area.
According to BNE, this will allow additional space to grow categories including technology, food and confectionery, with a focus on local brands, produce and the best Queensland has to offer. The expanded footprint will enable Lotte Duty Free to employ 35% more staff across the terminal, with the company also leveraging their Korean headquarters to promote and drive tourism to Brisbane and Queensland.
Ju Nam Kim, CEO of Lotte Duty Free, commented, “The award of a new 10-year term at Brisbane Airport will be a stepping stone for Lotte Duty Free to be Oceania’s number one duty free operator. As a global travel retailer, Lotte Duty Free will continue to pioneer new markets with active investment.”
Steve Timms, Lotte Travel Retail Oceania CEO, said. “Our renewed partnership with BAC will create a truly amazing retail experience worthy of Brisbane's incredible future. There is nothing in the Brisbane store design that has similarity to any other place. It will be a bespoke design, capturing the flavor of Brisbane. There will be many firsts, we’ve put our imagination to the wheel. We thank BAC for entrusting Lotte Duty Free to bring world best concepts to Brisbane Airport.”
The transformation of the Brisbane International Terminal is part of the A$5 billion $US3.4 billion) Brisbane Airport is investing in Future BNE. As part of this redevelopment, an RFP will be released in early 2024, calling for operators across specialty, food and beverage, news and books and foreign exchange.
