Gebr. Heinemann will run the Duty Free & Travel Retail shops at Düsseldorf Airport from 10 January 2023. The licence is for four shops across all three terminals A, B and C, with a total of around 4,000 square metres of shopping area.
The product range will include liquor, tobacco, confectionery, perfume and cosmetics, fashion, accessories, watches and jewellery.
“We are delighted at the successful outcome of the tender, and we are looking forward to renewing our partnership with Düsseldorf Airport and resuming retail operations there. I am certain that this partnership will be very successful in terms of unique, future-oriented shopping concepts. It is our common goal to meet all the needs of passengers in relation to Duty Free and Travel Retail services at this important airport,” says Raoul Spanger, Chief Operating Officer at Gebr. Heinemann.
“Yet another reason to take off in Düsseldorf! With Gebr. Heinemann, we are getting a partner that is as professional as it is likeable, with a fantastic concept. Together with a high level of service familiar to Heinemann customers, it will provide a special visitor experience for our passengers. We are looking forward to a constructive and cooperative partnership!,” says Anja Dauser, Head of Commercial at Flughafen Düsseldorf GmbH.
“As an airport with excellent connections and close to the city, we have a very special relationship with our region and with Düsseldorf. We are particularly pleased that Gebr. Heinemann has picked up on this concept in its product range and shop design. In this way, the passenger can fill up on the vital atmosphere of the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia on the last few metres to the plane and carry it into the world. This is how the local connects with the global,” adds Pia Klauck, Head of Commercial Operations at Flughafen Düsseldorf GmbH.
Homecoming for Gebr. Heinemann after ten years
The collaboration between Gebr. Heinemann and Düsseldorf Airport began in 1992, when the airport first introduced its retail concept. The two companies together laid the foundations for a mutually profitable business. Until almost ten years ago, Gebr. Heinemann last operated the Duty Free concession in Düsseldorf.
Willingness to invest, sustainability and ‘local sense’ pave the way for success
Above all, the shop design and sustainability concept, combined with the Travel Retailer’s willingness to invest, were decisive factors in winning the tender. Gebr. Heinemann has emerged as a strong company after the last couple of challenging years and is now well positioned to successfully operate additional business. The company’s ability to attract passengers with the right mix of local and global products, digital innovations and excellent service was also a strong factor in its favour.
The shop design clearly reflects the three cornerstones, namely a local approach, sustainability and flexibility. The shops combine a strong local spirit with easy orientation. Each shop offers a wide range of local products and has an individual focus that represents Düsseldorf. The design highlights the love and commitment to art, the emerging youth and urban culture, the history of the old town – commonly known as the ‘longest bar in the world’-, and showcases Düsseldorf’s status as Germany’s fashion capital. In this way, every shop creates its own individual and distinctly local experience, making each visit special. ‘Selfie points’ based on local landmarks also ensure that travellers feel the ‘local sense’ of the city.
The furnishing scheme allows plenty of scope for flexibility when it comes to potential changes and adjustments in all categories. As a result, frequently changing brand promotions and seasonal campaigns and offers can be highlighted – without the need for complicated modifications. This also means less waste. Besides the reduced material consumption for furnishings, for the construction of the shops Gebr. Heinemann and Düsseldorf Airport use rapidly renewable basic materials with low emissions in energy- and water-saving production, as well as using efficient lighting systems such as LED lighting with daylight sensors.
Düsseldorf is Germany’s fourth-largest airport
Measured in terms of passenger volume, Düsseldorf Airport is Germany’s fourth-busiest airport after Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin. In 2019, around 26 million passengers used the airport (including around 12 million departing passengers), where 80 airlines flew to more than 230 destinations in 65 countries. The catchment area includes the metropolitan region of North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as Belgium and the Netherlands.
