Travel Retail Vilnius, a subsidiary of Gebr. Heinemann, has won the tender for the retail spaces at Vilnius and Kaunas airports and will operate them for another eight years.
Travel Retail Vilnius impressed the majority state-owned JSC Lithuanian Airports with an innovative concept.
For the new areas, Travel Retail Vilnius is focusing on an adapted product range with an even stronger regional focus and exceptional customer experience.
This is made possible by the close cooperation between Gebr. Heinemann as an international retailer and Travel Retail Vilnius as a subsidiary with great expertise on the local market.
Nico Reifkogel, Director Business Development Gebr. Heinemann, comments on the tender win: “Thanks to our comprehensive understanding of the needs of travelers and the future direction of the airports, we were able to develop tailor-made solutions to achieve optimal results together.”
Oleg Zhytomyrsky, Director Sales Eastern Europe & Central Asia Gebr. Heinemann, adds: “After 17 years as a concessionaire, we were still able to demonstrate that we are a dynamic and future-oriented partner. We were awarded the contract for a further eight years due to the dedication and commitment of various departments at Gebr. Heinemann as well as the strong team at our subsidiary Travel Retail Vilnius. This tender win in Lithuania emphasizes Gebr. Heinemann’s strong position in Eastern Europe and with the planned conversion, the locations will gain even more importance within the region.”
Vilnius and Kaunas on the upswing
In accordance with the 2052 master plans, in which the airport operator outlines its vision for the future, investments are being made in the airports’ infrastructure. The aim is to establish Vilnius and Kaunas airports as central hubs in the Baltic region. Only 100 kilometers apart, Vilnius and Kaunas airports serve different passenger groups. The capital city airport mostly caters to business and individual travelers, while Kaunas mainly offers flights with low-cost carriers. Furthermore, Kaunas will serve more vacation destinations. Conservative estimates predict a five percent increase in passenger volume in Vilnius and a seven percent increase in Kaunas in the course of 2025.
Renovation sets new accents
The new walk-through store in Vilnius will offer more space for promotional areas, innovative product presentations and self-checkouts.
Orinta Amelija Ambrazevičienė, CEO Travel Retail Vilnius, explains: “Currently, consumers are mostly focusing on regional products, especially local alcoholic beverages and sweets as well as tobacco products. But we will also be setting new trends. The beauty segment is noticeably on the upswing, and travelers will find a designated area for Niche perfumes in Vilnius in the future. However, we will not only take current trends such as sunglasses into account, but also introduce new brands for Lithuanian passengers, as well as new concepts.”
Gintarė Norvilaitė-Tautevičė, Director of Commercial Department at Lithuanian Airports, comments: “We are very pleased that all parties involved continue to see the potential for further growth and commercial development at Lithuanian airports. The additional commercial space will allow the attraction of new brands, which can be presented more attractively in dedicated spaces, thus creating a better shopping experience. Despite the turbulence in aviation in recent years, we are sticking to our plan to purposefully expand and improve our commercial spaces, starting with the opening of Terminal T4 at Vilnius in the beginning of 2025 and larger-scale reconstructions in the Vilnius and Kaunas airports next year.”
The conversion work at Kaunas is planned to be completed by August 2025. The areas in Vilnius will shine in new splendor from the first quarter of 2026.
Gebr. Heinemann already has a strong footprint in the region and, in addition to Lithuania, is present with retail locations in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. Despite the circumstances, the company has been able to maintain its business in Ukraine and is standing firmly behind its employees.
