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• Summary: GENERAL: AIA: AIAL Two of the world's most innovative duty-free operators
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					AIA
20/02/2015 08:32
GENERAL
NOT PRICE SENSITIVE
REL: 0832 HRS Auckland International Airport Limited

GENERAL: AIA: AIAL Two of the world's most innovative duty-free operators

Media Release l 20 February 2015

Two of the world's most innovative duty-free operators selected for Auckland
Airport

Auckland Airport has today announced that LS Travel Retail Pacific and Aer
Rianta International will be the two duty-free operators at Auckland Airport
from 1 July 2015.
Richard Barker, Auckland Airport's general manager of retail and commercial,
says, "Auckland Airport has completed its international tender process and,
following the receipt of five strong bids, is delighted to announce that LS
Travel Retail Pacific and Aer Rianta International, two of the world's most
innovative duty free operators, have been selected."
"LS Travel and Aer Rianta will start operating at Auckland Airport from 1
July 2015 and their licence will be for at least seven years. They will
provide our passengers with shopping experiences unrivalled anywhere else in
the country."
"The selection of these two operators helps ensure that our passengers will
be able to choose from a wide range of products and services that represent
the best of New Zealand and the world. There will be many new duty free
brands and retail concepts, including a number of world firsts."

"Travellers will start to see the positive impact of the two new operators on
1 July this year, however, the biggest changes will come once we have opened
our new international departure area."
"The appointment of LS Travel and Aer Rianta will also result in a
significant expansion of our online retail channel, including 'click and
collect' which provides passengers with the option of buying online and
collecting their
tax-free and duty free purchases when next travelling internationally."
"Importantly, we expect the appointment of LS Travel and Aer Rianta will
eventually result in even more employment opportunities at the airport."
"Auckland Airport is focused on strategically growing its duty free and
retail business and providing travellers with a great shopping and travelling
experience. The selection of LS Travel and Aer Rianta will allow us to do
just that. Both operators have proven themselves overseas to be driven and
innovative in achieving strong, customer-focused, growth in airport duty free
retail."
"As a result of the duty free tender, and other changes in specialty stores,
we expect our earnings before interest, tax and depreciation in the 2016
financial year to increase by an additional $5 million."
"The selection of LS Travel and Aer Rianta will enable our duty free shopping
to become one of the best in the world, and shows our ongoing commitment to
our passengers. This announcement is also an important step as we implement
our 30-year vision to deliver Auckland and New Zealand's 'airport of the
future', says Mr Barker.
Matthieu Mercier, LS Travel Retail Pacific's chief executive officer, says,
"The win signals an exciting new chapter for both LS Travel Retail Pacific
and Auckland Airport. LS will boost the airport's duty free offer with
innovative ideas, and we will leverage our extensive vendor relationships and
global experience by offering a wide range of big name brands in perfume &
cosmetics, local wine and liquor to name a few. Our goal now is to make it
happen and to create a fantastic duty free experiences that exceed passenger
expectations, and I believe that our vision for Auckland Airport will achieve
this and more."
Jack MacGowan, Air Rianta International's chief executive, says, "This is a
wonderful opportunity for Air Rianta to enter a new partnership with an
ambitious, forward-looking airport that is seeking to collaborate with a
global duty free operator to enhance the retail experience of international
passengers at Auckland Airport. From the moment we held our initial
conversations with the team at Auckland, we recognised a shared vision about
placing the passenger at the heart of the airport retail experience and about
enhancing that experience with an exciting retail offer. We will bring to
Auckland our global experience of successful airport retail operations and
airport partnerships."
Mr Barker concludes, "Finally, I would like to thank both DFS and JR Retail,
our current duty free operators, for their strong proposals, for being great
business partners and for the excellent service they have provided to our
passengers over many years."
Ends
Background information on selected operators:
LS Travel Retail Pacific, a division of Lagard?re Services, is a world leader
in travel retail.  Operating in more than 30 countries throughout Europe,
North America, Asia and the Pacific, it operates more than 4,100 stores
across the world, including a presence at over 150 airports and 700 stations.
It runs the largest international network of duty free and luxury, travel
essentials and foodservice stores. Throughout Asia Pacific LS travel retail
operates more than 250 outlets, partnering with over 16 airports in
Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong
and India.

Aer Rianta International invented Duty Free through the world's first Duty
Free Liquor shop in Ireland's Shannon Airport in 1947. This pioneering spirit
coupled with strength in building strong partnerships saw the company rapidly
expand and be amongst the first to bring duty free retailing to the Middle
East, Eastern Europe and Russia. Today a formula of customer led thinking,
innovation and a bespoke retail offer with a strong sense of place sees them
successfully operate airport duty free stores across four continents -
Europe, Asia, Middle East and North America. With a managed turnover in
excess of US$1 billion ARI employs 3,500 people worldwide.

For further information please contact:

Simon Lambourne, Auckland Airport
+64 9 255 9089, +64 27 477 6120, [email protected]

Janette Doolan, LS Travel Retail Pacific
+61 2 8218 1142, +61 414 461 605, [email protected]

Nicola Wells, Aer Rianta International
+353 18141446, +353 87 6959692, [email protected]
End CA:00260905 For:AIA    Type:GENERAL    Time:2015-02-20 08:32:54