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Málaga Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport’s Terminal 3, which opened in 2010, is set for an ambitious makeover of its commercial offer. But I have to say that what’s already there is very good.
The main Aldeasa (World Duty Free Group) duty free and travel retail store (above) was absolutely buzzing as I took a flight to London earlier this week. It’s big, bright and vibrant, with lots of cohesion for such a large store and the real feel of a tourists’ marketplace. There’s activity and promotions aplenty and nice sight lines and aisle space to aid the shopper.
Having retained the concession, World Duty Free Group plans to increase space to around 2,600sq m, which should drive revenues of around €68 million a year by 2014, compared to €52 million last year, according to airport authority AENA.
AENA will also split the existing central commercial square into two blocks, providing fresh commercial opportunities across both retail and food & beverage. By the time work is completed early in 2014, total commercial space will have increased by +21% to 12,849sq m. Duty free space will expand by +11%, other retail by +30% and F&B by +23%.
A new-look VIP lounge across 2,600sq m will also be a key feature, incorporating services such as retail, luxury F&B and beauty treatments. Hopefully it will offer more than the currently deeply insulting 15 minutes of free wi-fi.
That quibble aside, Málaga Airport strikes me as a place where the consumer offer has been carefully thought out with the tourist-dominated demographic in mind, and very well executed. The next stage of development promises much.
