A shopping mall to rival any other will open at Dublin airport in the late summer while plans are also in the pipeline to extend the range of shops at Shannon and Cork airports.
Aer Rianta has just invited tenders from retailers interested in establishing outlets selling branded men's and women's fashions in Dublin airport's new terminal. The development will provide both departing and arriving passengers, as well as their families and friends, with "a whole new shopping experience".
Duty free sales to passengers travelling within the EU ended on July 1st last year with an annual loss to Aer Rianta of £30 million.
"We want to try to make up some of those losses, though we could never make up for them all," said Flan Clune, the company's general manager of press and public relations.
The new mall will be called "The Street" and 400 sq m of retail space on The Street are now up for grabs. The number of retail units which open will depend on the size of the stores seeking retail space in the new £70 million terminal, which will be fully operational by late summer.
With passenger traffic at Dublin airport expected to reach almost 14 million this year, Mr Clune expects to receive applications from international and national retailers to operate on The Street either through a franchise arrangement or on a concession basis.
He is seeking proposals from retailers wishing to set up stores selling branded men's and women's quality casual and formal fashion, jewellery, sports accessories and other items one would expect to find in a high street shopping mall.
"When people are at airports they are in shopping mood so the retail opportunities should be endless. We will experiment with selling different products and are open to suggestions from retailers." In addition, Mr Clune feels there is now a greater demand for a broader range of shops at airports. People with busy lives may not have time to trawl through shops in the city but could effectively use the time between check in and departure, or while awaiting the arrival of an aircraft, to buy items they need.
He confirmed that the same concept will be extended to Shannon airport, which will have a throughput of an estimated 2.5 million passengers this year and where a new £28 million terminal opened last month, and to Cork airport where a £60 million development plan has just got under way. Up to 1.7 million passengers will pass through Cork airport this year.
No indications have been given of the rent likely to be sought for the new retail opportunities on The Street in Dublin or at Shannon and Cork. "We are asking people to submit tenders and proposals so we could not disclose rents which will be expected at this stage," Mr Clune said.
People interested in setting up shop at the airport should submit full details to Aer Rianta by May 5th.
