LS travel retail and Trudeau International Airport renew partnership
LS travel retail North America has announced the renewal of its partnership with Montreal Trudeau International Airport (ADM). Present in the Airport for over 10 years, LS’ portfolio includes both travel essentials and specialty retail dispersed across 18 stores, which will be renovated over the next two years as the result of a major airport redevelopment plan.
Ranging from small refurbishments to complete rebranding, the renewal program represents about 650 square meters of new retail space and 1,390 square meters of renovations. It is expected to generate US$230 million throughout the term of the contract.
As part of the renewal, LS will be introducing exciting new concepts, such as the Quebec-based world-class entertainment company Cirque du Soleil. With international headquarters located in Montreal, Cirque du Soleil will offer a wide range of branded merchandise products. The brand will also be featured as a store-in-store in LS’ new Découvrir Montréal, a tailored version of LS’ proprietary (and newly-rebranded) “Discover”—the only international travel retail brand specialized in gifts and souvenirs. Découvrir Montréal will also feature a section dedicated to the iconic Hudson’s Bay Company.
“We are extremely pleased to be renewing our partnership with Montreal Trudeau and we are proud to be deploying such a solid retail program in the airport,” said Vadim Motlik, Chief Development Officer at LS travel retail. “ADM and LS both have in common a complete dedication to customer experience and our companies are aligned on many levels. We are glad to be partnering with them throughout their exciting redevelopment plan and we look forward to unveiling our shared vision for their new concession program.”
“ADM has worked closely with the LS travel retail team in redefining Montreal-Trudeau’s specialty retail program to provide our passengers with an offer that meets their needs,” added Hugues Brassard, Director of Commercial Services at Aéroports de Montréal. “LS is bringing new local renowned operators, such as Cirque du Soleil and a new generation iStore, in order to provide passengers with a strong sense of place and exciting new products that will enhance their journey.
“LS’ vision of deploying a flexible retail concept tailored to Montreal’s unique customer base will ensure a maximum return and provide superior customer experience,” he continued.
Set to premier in Montreal-Trudeau are two new generation iStores, which include promotional LCD screens, charging stations, “beacon” fixtures at the entrance of the stores and interactive units from the two best-sellers of end-high audio accessories: Bose and Beats by Dre. The eye-catching units will deliver a shopping experience never before seen in the North American retailing scene, allowing the customers to try the brands’ headphones with their own music, among other things.
LS’ retail plan also includes a flexible travel essentials concept, with a mix that rotates according to the seasons—it will offer beach-inspired items for the traveler heading to a sunny destination in the winter and a complete assortment of souvenirs for the tourist visiting Montreal in the summer.
Finally, on its current portfolio, LS will be deploying its Store Optimization strategy. A complete solution integrating space planning, design, merchandising and marketing, the program aims at leveraging the current market trends to optimize the use of space in the stores.
