A new 2,000 square metre commercial area, with 20 new stores from major international retail chains, has been opened on July 17th, in the restricted departure areas of Lisbon Airport. This expansion represents a hundred new jobs and an estimated sales turnover of 15 million euros per year.

Restricted to passengers with boarding cards, this new retail area includes the following stores: Accessorize, Desigual, Dreams Gourmet, FNAC, Geox, Hediard (the retailer’s first store in Portugal), Imaginarium, L’Occitane, Pandora, Springfield, Starbucks, Sunglass Hut, Swarovski, Swatch, Tumi, Victoria’s Secret (the retailer’s first store in the Iberian Peninsula) and Women’ Secret. Passengers departing from Terminal 1 will now be offered a wider range of fashion and accessories, jewellery, books, toys, perfumery, cosmetics and gourmet groceries, as well as a café. Lisbon Airport has thus increased its area dedicated to specialist retail by 80%.

With this new space, wherein architecture and interior design enhance the organisation of the products, the modern lines and the presence of natural light, Lisbon Airport now offers a new look and a new centrality.

The expansion of the commercial area in Lisbon Airport results from a series of innovations that bear witness to the dynamic spirit of ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal in the on-going modernisation of its retail areas. In 2008 the number of restaurants and bars increased; in 2012 several luxury brands were introduced, including Ermenegildo Zegna, Burberry and Montblanc; in that year, the Just for Travelers - Duty Free Shop was converted to the walk-through format, the first of this type in Portugal; and the Portfolio store was also created in 2012. This store specialises in the promotion of brands, products and experiences that represent the best that is produced in Portugal.

For Carlos Gutierres, director of non-aviation commercial operations at ANA Aeroportos de Portugal, “all the company’s investments in expanding and improving the commercial premises and services are intended to improve the overall satisfaction of passengers, to attract more tourists, to contribute to regional and national development and to guarantee the sustainability of airports.”

Commenting on the fact that, even in a context of an economic crisis and slowdown in consumption, so many major brands have invested in these new stores at Lisbon Airport, Carlos Gutierres notes: “The airport environment is an accelerator of brands’ communication and marketing strategies. Airports are excellent shop windows for brands to present themselves to the world and for them to enhance their position in this new global distribution channel known as travel retail.”