Dufry has successfully extended its contract to operate the tax and duty-free store at Cardiff Airport in Wales for a further 12 years, following a successful partnership for the past 20 years.
Cardiff Airport is the only major passenger Airport in Wales, and is an important driver for the Welsh economy through the connectivity it offers to other parts of the UK and internationally. In 2019 Cardiff Airport welcomed 1.6 million passengers.
The store currently operates under Dufry’s Nuance branding, but as part of the store redevelopment plans it will be re-branded as World Duty Free. This year, some initial improvements will be made to the 670 m2 store with plans for further refurbishment throughout the partnership.
The store will retain its walkthrough format and the retail space will be more focused on the duty free offer and the core categories of beauty, liquor, confectionery and tobacco. A new in-demand feature that will be introduced to the Cardiff store is the Reserve & Collect service, which allows customers to browse online and pre-order their products any time between 1 month and 24 hours before they fly and then collect them on departure. This makes a significantly wider range of brands and products from the UK assortment available to customers, including many that aren’t available to purchase in the Cardiff store.
Commenting on the redevelopment Fred Creighton, Chief Executive Officer UK & Germany for Dufry, said, “We are delighted to have been successful in our bid to continue operating the tax and duty free store at Cardiff Airport for the next 12 years. The refurbishment we have planned for the store space and the new services we are introducing will clearly demonstrate our continued commitment to Wales and to our airport partner, in terms of taking the airport shopping experience to another level for passengers.”
Spencer Birns, CEO at Cardiff Airport continues, “It’s fantastic news that the world’s leading duty free operator has chosen to partner with us for the next 12 years and continue to deliver an excellent shopping experience for our customers. We remain committed to improving the passenger experience at Cardiff Airport, and we are excited about the positive changes and opportunities that lie ahead. I’d like to thank Dufry for their ongoing commitment and trust in Cardiff Airport, and we look forward to working alongside the team over the coming years.”
