There’s an air of new generation luxury retail at Istanbul Airport, as its new open plan bazaar concept, Luxury Square opens

ATÜ Duty Free and its long term partners TAV Airports and Unifree Duty Free / Gebr. Heinemann have revealed their new Luxury Square multi-brand retail concept, which targets increasing numbers of luxury shoppers with 800 sqm of flexible brand displays at Istanbul Airport.

ATÜ Duty Free said it hopes the Luxury Square concept will attract interest from global passengers drawn to the “contemporary, open store design”. Situated in a prominent position of Istanbul Airport’s new Bosphorous Zone retail offer, the focus is on constantly updated offers of clothes and accessories from several leading luxury brands including Burberry, Kenzo, Givenchy, Loewe, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Chloé, Marc Jacobs, Off-White, Palm Angels and Alanui.

Burberry’s luxury travel retail offer at Istanbul Airport

In addition to a wide range of contemporary and accessible luxury fashion and accessories offers, the watches and jewellery category is catered to, including brands such as Chopard, Messika, Piaget, Atelier Swarovski, Tous, Bee Goddess and Gucci. Eyewear is another product focus with sunglasses offers from Balenciaga, Cartier, Celine, Chloé, Dior, Fendi, Gucci and Saint Laurent. The Luxury Square space dedicates 110-sqm to sunglasses and 92-sqm to luxury watches and jewellery.

Kering Group’s Alexander McQueen has a sneaker block within the luxury travel retail offer at Istanbul Airport

ATU Duty Free CEO Ersan Arcan stated, “ATU Duty Free is a pioneering company in duty-free store operations and we have 20 successful years behind us thanks to our operations both domestic and worldwide. We achieved great success in a very short period of time with our luxury boutiques and Old Bazaar stores that we began to operate at Istanbul Airport last year. As a leading company in innovation, we now have the goal to carry this success to a higher level with Luxury Square, our new store”.

Speaking to DFNI in October, Ian Foster, Chief Commercial Officer, Unifree said he was excited by the luxury retail direction for the airport, adding that sales have been consistently above the commercial plan forecast, driven heavily by the [monobrand] luxury stores that have recently opened. Describing the new Luxury Square as an extension of this masterplan, and like an open plan department store but designed with duty free shoppers in mind, he said there are high expectations for continued growth in line with increased passenger numbers.

For more on luxury fashion strategy, read DFNI’s recent interview with Jan Richter, Director Purchasing Fashion & Accessories of Heinemann, as he discusses the retailer’s multi-brand travel retail strategy across a number of airport locations, including Istanbul.

For more on the joint partnership between ATÜ Duty Free and Unifree Duty Free / Heinemann, read DFNI‘s special On Location Istanbul Airport report.