Airport Retail Fitout Study to be presented at AAA Retail & Commercial Forum

AUSTRALIA. A new study by industry consultancy The Mercurius Group will explore the landscape for airport retail fitouts in the Pacific region, with highlights to be presented at the Australian Airports Association Retail & Commercial Forum in Sydney (21-23 July).

The event is a joint venture between the Australian Airports Association, The Mercurius Group and The Moodie Davitt Report.

A key role of the Forum is the presentation of bespoke research examining issues of major importance to the airport commercial sector. The Airport Retail Fitout Study will be one of five pieces of bespoke research presented.

The study will consider the complexities of development and costs involved, include thought leadership from various stakeholders and a 12-month outlook of fitout opportunities across Australia and New Zealand.

It will build upon a key presentation at last year’s Forum, where research highlighted the higher cost of airport retail fitouts versus downtown counterparts.

The report will present anonymised retail fitout costs, benchmarked by:

• Cost component
• Country (e.g. Australia versus NZ);
• Retail type (e.g. duty free, travel essentials, specialty retail and F&B);
• Airport type (e.g. capital city versus regional);
• Terminal type (international versus domestic); and
• Over time (e.g. 2024 versus predicted 2025).

Within the travel retail industry each stakeholder—retailers, airports, designers, and shopfitters—have distinct needs and perspectives. To reflect this, the study will include insights from a cross section of expert and sponsors including:

• SSP:
• Emirates Leisure Retail;
• Avolta;
• Trivision Shopfitting; and
• Dovetail Design.

In addition to gathering information on the scale of investment being made in retail fitouts across Australian and New Zealand airports, the study will also provide a forward look at the fitout pipeline for the next 12 months, helping airports, concessionaires, shop fitters and suppliers plan resources and finances.

The Mercurius Group Managing Director Ivo Favotto said: “There is a significant amount of money invested each year in airport retail fitouts. Great fitouts are what help make airport retail inviting and special. But costs are escalating and will impact rents and lease term requirements if airports don’t give serious focus on what they can do to rein in costs. This Study aims to shine a spotlight on this under-considered element of airport retail.

AAA CEO Simon Westaway said: “We are delighted the Forum serves as the preeminent platform for presenting important research like this to the airports industry. Bringing airports and retailers together creates the ideal opportunity to raise these issues, and we sincerely thank the sponsors of this research for their generous support and insights.”

The Airport Retail Fitout Study will be presented on Day Three of the Forum, followed by a discussion panel on the topic.

For further information, please contact: The Mercurius Group Managing Director Ivo Favotto: ifavotto@themercuriusgroup.com

For more on sponsorship and exhibition opportunities at the Forum, please contact Ivo Favotto or The Moodie Davitt Report Publisher Irene Revilla: Irene@MoodieDavittReport.com