Dufry wins new contract at Sofia Airport
Following an international tender process, Dufry has been awarded a new eight-and-a-half-year concession contract at Sofia International Airport in Bulgaria to operate 13 shops, 11 of which will be duty free and two of which will be duty paid.
Dufry will take over the operation of the 1,433 square meters of existing commercial space as of June 2022 and will develop a new 1,800 square meter walkthrough shop and a new 170 square meter Arrivals shop, both of which will be located in Terminal 2.
The new concession consolidates Dufry’s footprint in Bulgaria, where it operates at Burgas and Varna airports.
Sofia Airport is the largest international airport in Bulgaria and handled over 7 million passengers in 2019.
The airport has started a major redevelopment which includes the construction of a new terminal. Dufry said it would “significantly improve” the commercial offer, “setting a new benchmark for travel retail in Eastern European airports”.
The retail space in the existing T2 will be totally transformed with the construction of the 1,800 square meter main walkthrough duty free store and the new duty paid Arrivals shop.
The core product categories will be offered across the various commercial outlets. In the new walkthrough store customers will discover an extensive product mix including internationally renowned brands, exclusive products and new launches.
Local products will be showcased in a Taste of Sofia area, to convey a strong sense of place.
Digital technologies
Commenting on the new contract, Alberto Iglesias, Chief Operating Officer, Mediterranean, Eastern Europe & Middle East, said: “Dufry is proud to have been awarded this important new concession in Bulgaria. We would like to thank Sofia Airport for the trust they have shown in us. As the leading global travel retailer, we will use our extensive knowledge and expertise to take the airport’s shopping experience to an entirely new level for over 7 million passengers who visit Sofia Airport each year. A key element of the new walkthrough store will be the integration of digital technologies.”
Jesus Caballero, Sofia Airport Chief Executive Officer, added: “With the appointment of the professional duty free and travel retail operator Dufry for the airport shops, we are a step closer to delivering the envisaged excellence to our passengers. Our travelers deserve a better commercial experience on the airport premises and Dufry is going to deliver it. Our expectations of the global travel retailer are in line with Sofia Airport’s major transformation aimed to rank the airport among its European peers.”
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