DETROIT (Oct. 17, 2012)—A transformative new retail program for the McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) was approved today by the Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) Board. The new program, which will include a more than $13M retailer investment in the Airport, will introduce new major brands and local specialty shops to Detroit travelers including the launch of five new concepts not yet found in any airport worldwide.
“When the McNamara Terminal opened in 2002, it swept industry awards and traveler rankings for unmatched customer satisfaction largely due to the variety of shopping and dining options it features,” said WCAA CEO Tom Naughton. “Ten years later, this new retail program will position us well to serve changing traveler demands and expectations well into the decade ahead.”
The new McNamara Terminal retail program will introduce internationally-recognized brands including The Body Shop, Spanish fashion label Desigual, EA SPORTS, The Economist, Johnston & Murphy, The New York Times, PANDORA, Spanx, Tim Horton’s and The Wall Street Journal while also reintroducing popular existing stores Brighton Collectibles, Brooks Brothers, Brookstone, Caribou Coffee, CNBC Smartshop, Erwin Pearl, PGA TOUR Shop and Starbucks in completely re-designed venues.
Also new to the terminal are several concepts that will be the first to appear in any airport worldwide, including the first-ever retail outlet for NBC’s highly-rated morning show TODAY, TIME magazine’s first newsstand, and the first airport boutiques for Dylan’s Candy Bar and NBC News. DTW will also feature the first airport location in the Americas for Porsche Design.
In addition to new and national brands, several local, specialty stores are also part of the new program, such as the family-owned, Birmingham, Mich.-based Mills Pharmacy + Apothecary and Michigan fitness retailer Running Fit (also making its airport debut). Also included are two outlets specializing in local merchandise—Michigan Sports will offer licensed apparel and accessories for Michigan’s professional and collegiate teams, while Detroit! will feature Made in Detroit and other locally-themed products.
“This new retail program will take Detroit Metro Airport’s Concession program to the next level,” said WCAA Director of Concessions & Quality Assurance Greg Hatcher. “It’s more than just new and celebrated brand names – most of these new concepts completely re-imagine the airport shopping experience by integrating new and interactive technology, infusing local merchants with international brands, adding more eco-friendly products, integrating gourmet coffee and comic books into our new travel stores, and more.”
Detroit Metro Airport’s retail program for the McNamara Terminal was among the first in the world to feature a wide-variety of shops run by a mix of national and local operators when the terminal opened in 2002. By design, few shops are located adjacent to another venue operated by the same firm, which encourages competition among vendors in both price and customer service.
All of the new retail contracts were competitively solicited and provided opportunities for two prime operators (11 venues each) as well as nine direct opportunities for individual spaces. The Airport Authority conducted extensive community outreach to encourage participation in the latest retail solicitations, and the fit-out of transformed retail spaces is expected to result in a number of new, local construction jobs. All new retail operators have committed to hiring from among the current airport retail employees to ensure a seamless transition and minimal job displacement. As a whole, WCAA’s retail and dining concessions program directly employs approximately 3,100 people.
Successful proposers who will operate retail venues in the McNamara Terminal as part of the new program include Bethesda, Md.-based Host International, Atlanta-based The Paradies Shops, Toronto, Canada-based HDS & Partners (LS Travel Retail), and direct operators Brookstone of Merrimack, New Hampshire, and Be Relax based in Paris, France.
The new retail contracts approved today by the Airport Authority Board will be phased-in over the next year in order to ensure some concessions remain open for customers throughout the transition. Additionally, several newly-added retail stores in the Terminal—L’Occitane, Swarovski, Solar Shades, Croc’s, Vino Volo and the terminal’s two Duty Free Americas stores—as well as the retail concessions located in the Terminal’s Concourse C (which opened in 2005), are not affected by today’s decision and will remain as part of the new retail program.
The Airport Authority is entirely self-sustaining and does not receive any tax dollars to support airport operations, making revenue from sources such as concessions critical to supporting the airport as key regional asset. The new retail program approved today is expected to return $7.7M to the Airport Authority in its first full year of operation – a 16.9% increase over the current program – and more than $62M over the seven year terms of the contracts.
A complete list of the new retail concepts in the program approved today is attached and available at www.metroairport.com.
About Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Having welcomed more than 32.4 million passengers in 2011, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) is Michigan’s busiest airport and one of the world’s leading air transportation hubs. With service from 11 scheduled passenger airlines and three scheduled cargo carriers, DTW offers more than 1200 flights per day to and from nearly 150 destinations on four continents. In 2010, DTW ranked highest in overall customer satisfaction among large airports in the J.D. Power and Associates North America Airport Satisfaction Study. With two new, state-of-the-art passenger terminals, six jet runways, and an onsite AAA Four-Diamond Westin hotel, DTW is among the world’s most efficient, customer friendly and operationally capable airports in North America. DTW is operated by Wayne County Airport Authority, which also operates nearby Willow Run Airport—an important corporate, cargo and general aviation facility. The Airport Authority is entirely self-sustaining and does not receive any tax dollars to support airport operations. For more information about Metro Detroit’s airports, visit www.metroairport.com.
