Paraguay's Golden Duty Free looks at future opportunities
Laura Mendez, Country Manager for Golden Duty Free, Paraguay
Golden Duty Free has expanded its reach into South America with its growing facility at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in the urban center of Luque, serving the country’s capital city of Asuncion.
The view that travelers get as they approach the Golden Duty Free store at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Paraguay
Store offering
“Our most important categories are perfume, liquor and confectionery, in that order,” said Laura Mendez, Golden Duty Free’s Country Manager (Paraguay), in a recent interview with Americas Duty Free. The store also offers other traditional duty free items such as tobacco, toys, writing utensils like pens, sunglasses, electronics and travel items.
Silvio Pettirossi International Airport, where Golden Duty Free is located, is Paraguay’s main national and international gateway. In 2017, the airport served 1.2 million passengers. Golden has four stores at the airport. “Three are located in Departures and one is in Arrivals. In Departures we have a store between Gates 5 and 6, which is the new area of the airport. We also have a chocolate kiosk near the VIP Lounge, and a liquor store,” Mendez said.
The chocolate shop and the liquor store were both opened after Mendez was named to this position. “One of my challenges was the opening of the two new spaces, which helped to increase revenues,” she said. Her aim is to work with her 30-member commercial team “to be able to adapt to a new culture with a more personalized vision and service to customers.
Delayed expansion
Mendez said the economic crisis in Argentina is having an impact on their operations, as is the case for other Southern Cone businesses. Given this reality, for the time being Golden has no plans for expansion at Pettirossi. “At the moment we have an adequate value proposal for our passengers,” Mendez said. “In recent months we have had to change our strategy slightly, due to the crisis in Argentina that affects our sales.”
That being said, Golden will continue to keep an eye out for other possibilities and opportunities in the future. “Our company is attentive to investment possibilities that exist in the region,” Mendez said. “And it is also willing to accompany the growth of Silvio Pettirossi Airport in the coming years, with innovative ideas and by applying the latest trends in displays that are already being used in other locations in cities around the world.”
