Rio de Janeiro, 7th June 2017 - As part of one of its biggest expansion projects, Dufry’s duty free and duty paid stores at RIOgaleão Airport were transformed last year with extensive and impressive redesigns and the opening of several new stores and boutique shops. The scale of the redevelopment was vast and allowed Dufry to double its duty free space, reaching a total of 8,000sqm. The travel retailer now operates almost 10,000sqm of retail space at the airport. One of the key considerations for Dufry, was to ensure that its new stores featured thematic concepts and design details that captured the spirit and vibrancy that the city of Rio is famous for, delivering a very tangible ‘Sense of Place’ to the 17 million passengers the airport welcomes each year.

At almost 2,200sqm, the main duty free store in Departures has prime position in the completely renovated and expanded terminal. Dufry worked in close collaboration with RIOgaleão to develop a retail space that delivers real impact and desirable new brands. The design of the store was inspired by Copacabana Beach, an iconic symbol of Rio de Janeiro. Design details such as curved walkways guide customers to the heart of the store and in the extensive beauty hall, strong personalisations have been introduced for a number of international brands including Dior, Chanel and Armani, to create a luxury shopping experience.
This main store is also home to a Samsung Corner – a strong brand personalization showcasing Samsung accessories, mobile phones and VR GEAR. Dufry is also the first travel retailer worldwide to present an Apple ‘shop in shop’ concept. The Apple brand has a very strong following amongst Brazilians and Argentineans and the shop therefore offers the full Apple range. Customers are served by dedicated staff who have undergone extensive training to ensure they deliver the best standards of service and product knowledge.

The all-important ‘Sense of Place’ is delivered in Dufry’s operations at RIOgaleão Airport, with unique and innovative concepts that reflect aspects of the Brazilian culture. In addition to the Main Duty Free store in Departures, a ‘Destination Area’ is dedicated to local brands and perfectly captures the colour, flamboyance and energy of the most famous neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro – Maracanã, Ipanema, Copacabana and Lapa – with imaginative use of design details, fixtures and lighting.

Luxury is also a key focus of the shopping experience at RIOgaleão and a ‘WATCHES’ boutique store showcases an impressive collection of products from brands such as Montblanc, TAG, Hublot, Breitling and Bvlgari. Its design, incorporating reflective and metallic elements such as crystal and gold, creates a very premium and relaxing shopping environment for customers.

The luxury theme continues with a collection of visually impactful boutiques from brands such as Hugo Boss, Salvatore Ferragamo, Polo Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors.

Clever design from Dufry creates the appearance of four separate stores, but in fact all are connected via a central, mirrored corridor which means customers can easily walk between all four boutiques and conveniently pay for their various purchases all at once.

Arrivals stores in Brazil fulfill the role of department stores, which are nonexistent in the local market. Here in RIOgaleão, Dufry has taken the design and service elements of its duty free arrivals store to the next level, to deliver a truly world class shopping experience to customers.

In addition, Arrivals stores also help brands to build their awareness amongst the affluent Brazilian customers, including brands that aren’t available such as Victoria’s Secret, Polo Ralph Lauren (exclusive at duty free in Rio), or have very restricted distribution in the local market as is the case with Giorgio Armani Cosmetics, Moroccanoil, Kérastase and Hugo Boss, which are well presented in personalized corners.

‘Sense of Place’ is very evident yet again, with the green mountains that surround Copacabana beach referenced in the store’s ceiling design, whilst the walkway resembles the classic beach boulevard flooring. Clever lighting mimics the reflective qualities of sunlight on water and a curving walkway guides customers intuitively through the extensive 3,800sqm store.

Just inside the wide and welcoming store entrance passengers discover a relaxing Lounge Area where they can ‘de-stress’ before entering the shop itself. Dufry’s Drop & Pick Up Luggage Service is located here and allows customers to hand over their bulky or heavy luggage to be conveniently and securely stored. It is then returned to them at the exit of the arrivals store, after they have shopped in comfort, without having to carry heavy bags and cases.

A ‘Reserve and Collect’ service is also offered by Dufry, which enables customers to pre order products online, by phone or through an app in a simple, speedy and secure way. A dedicated Reserve & Collect point is conveniently located further inside the arrivals store, where customers can collect their pre-ordered goods and pay for them at exclusive check outs. Another lounge area can also be found here, where customers can relax and enjoy a drink or light refreshments, having collected their reserved shopping.

An extensive beauty area offers services including hair and skin diagnostics from brands such as Vichy, La Roche Posay and Kérastase. Space is dedicated to the desirable and unique ‘travel exclusive’ products which can only be found in the airport. The liquor area incorporates Dufry’s World of Whiskies ‘shop in shop’ format, a ‘Rare & Vintage’ area for whiskies and cognacs, as well as ‘tasting bars’ for wines, spirits and confectionery, which give customers the opportunity to sample and then to buy the products at the same location.

‘Must Have in Rio’ is a personalised area which brings together items specifically chosen by Dufry for international passengers visiting the city, presenting a personalised product mix tailored based on what travellers might need during their stay in Rio de Janeiro, including flip flops, sunscreen and beach wear amongst others, which also offers a taste of the amazing destination area travellers will discover when departing Rio.

Finally, Dufry’s arrival store also presents a dedicated ‘lifestyle’ area which showcases products specifically chosen to satisfy Brazilians’ unique purchasing preferences and at more attractive prices compared to the domestic market. Many of these items - such as baby buggies - are difficult to carry because they are so bulky or heavy, so for the ultimate convenience, Dufry offers them in its extensive Arrivals store, along with pet accessories, home appliances and tech’ items such as drones, which are especially popular thanks to the great weather and outdoor lifestyle enjoyed by Brazilians.

The final part of the retail story here at RIOgaleão is the Dufry Shopping Megastore. Located in Terminal 2, the 1,300sqm store again plays a department store role within the local Brazilian market. It is the only ‘multi category’ retail outlet where brands can present their own concepts in a very appealing and personalised way. New brands have been introduced across several core categories including Beauty – Dufry is the exclusive retailer for MAC (other than the brand’s own standalone stores in the high street), Fashion – with the introduction of Salinas and Reserva, Watches and Accessories – Dufry is the only authorised dealer (other than Vivara) for Tommy Hilfiger Watches and also the only travel retailer to operate a ‘shop in shop’ Vivara jewellery boutique. A Sunglass Hut is also operated exclusively by Dufry at RIOgaleão, bringing together the expertise of the number one sunglasses chain and the number one travel retailer worldwide.

Alongside its business operations, Dufry is committed to contributing to the wider community and for the past 21 years, has sponsored a social promotion programme in Rio de Janeiro. This programme provides free professional education to 30 young people every year and since it began, it has benefited almost 600 teenagers in total. Classes can be attended by teenagers aged between 16 and 20 years and subjects offered include English, computer classes and retail operations, alongside modules in teamwork, leadership, ethics and citizenship. Students also receive free meals, medical and dental care, life insurance, uniforms, educational materials and assistance with transport. Dufry then goes on to help students with their career progression, alerting them to any opportunities within the business, or with external partners. Employability rates reach almost 90% for those teenagers taking part in the programme. Dufry employees are also extremely proud to be involved in the programme and regularly participate as volunteers, as well as acting as mentors to individuals taking part. The programme involves 60 volunteers each year from Dufry and other partners, who are very engaged in this important initiative.

Luiz Rocha, CEO of RIOgaleão, commented, “The new duty free stores have provided passengers with a complete experience in RIOgaleão, taking into account their wishes and needs. Our strategy is to continuously improve and requalify the service delivery and increase the variety of products and brands. Along with Dufry, we have brought to Rio's International Airport quality items and attractive offers that combine the best of Rio with the best of the world. The project was designed so that the passenger has his first and last Rio experience in the airport. The architecture combines elements such as wood and curved lines, to represent the mountains and the sea typical of Rio de Janeiro. Within this setting we have, for the first time at the airport, local brands that represent the carioca lifestyle and are recognized worldwide, including brands such as Farm, Osklen, Lenny Niemeyer and also a dedicated area to the city's bohemian experience."

Commenting on its operations at RIOgaleão, Julián Díaz, CEO of Dufry concluded, “We are extremely proud of everything we have achieved here at Tom Jobim International airport. We have been able to significantly expand our retail presence and showcase the best of Dufry’s store concepts, which have been designed to deliver a world-class airport shopping experience to the millions of passengers that use the airport each year. The increased commercial offering, extended choice of brands and range of customer services on offer have already helped drive strong performance and growth. Our thanks go to the team at RIOgaleão with whom we continue to work in close partnership, to ensure that the traveller’s experience at this airport is second to none.”