USA. International Shoppes has opened 5,800sq ft of upgraded space at New York JFK International Terminal 1, with much-enhanced retail areas for liquor & tobacco, confectionery and luxury goods.
The expansion and renovation project complements the separate opening at JFK T1 of International Shoppes’ largest airport store, a 7,200sq ft beauty outlet, just over a year ago. At the time this more than doubled the space available for beauty in a new space and freed up space for the other categories noted above. Construction of the revamped store was completed in August, with the final touches in place since late October.
Liquor, tobacco and confectionery have each grown their space by around +50% compared to the previous store, with new brands across these categories and in fashion & accessories, including watches, jewellery and sunglasses. Entranceways have been extended to allow greater visibility into the store, with aisles also widened for better orientation and ease of passage.
International Shoppes Director Scott Halpern said: “Once we opened the new beauty space we were able to fully renovate the existing store, which had been in place for 20 years. We have done some renovations but never a full and complete makeover. We basically had a blank canvas. It means that combined, we have 13,000sq ft of new space at T1.”
He added: “With two expanded entry points you can see deep into the store and find the category you want easily. On one side where we had beauty previously we have extended the entrance to around 25ft; on the other where we had luxury we have opened up a wall so the entrance is 35ft compared to 10ft before, and there you can see all of the heavyweight brands. There are clean sightlines and wider aisles for travellers, making it much easier for them to view and to walk through.”
Spirits & wines is among the major beneficiaries with a strong emphasis on single malts and bourbons in the expanded area. There are personalised spaces for the first time for many brands, including Martell, Jameson, The Glenlivet, The Macallan, Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Dewar’s, Tito’s, Crown Royal, Jim Beam, Glenmorangie and The Dalmore, as well as an area for local and craft spirits.
Confectionery is now placed at the front of the store as a footfall driver. Halpern said: “We have been able to bring in ten back wall fixtures for leading brands. It is really well showcased and an entry point into the store for the consumer. We see confectionery as a drawcard.” Brand owners with personalised space for the first time include Hershey’s, Mars, Ferrero and Tea Forte.
In tobacco, the retailer partnered with Altria to develop a new category design, revealed here for the first time in North America. Around one third of the category is dedicated to Marlboro. “It’s an entirely new approach and delivers an immersive experience,” said International Shoppes Director Matthew Greenbaum. “The Altria team deserve great credit. It also features the launch of a new high-end edition of Marlboro, bringing something new to the category.” Another highlight in tobacco goods is a humidor developed with Davidoff, said the retailer.
New space has been developed for luxury brands, while sunglasses has also been much enhanced. Chopard is a new brand for International Shoppes at T1, while others with their own space for the first time (in shop-in-shops) include Gucci, Hermès and Tissot.
Other attractions include a tasting bar in the heart of the store. Greenbaum noted: “This is a great way to get people into the shop and to keep them circulating. We have tasting events every day, not only in spirits, but also in wine and confectionery.”
The new-look space also carries a strong emphasis on digital engagement with the consumer.
“We have really enhanced our digital footprint,” said Greenbaum. “The store front features a 20ft floor to ceiling wrap that can broadcast key brand messages. In confectionery one column is wrapped in a digital display, for which we urge brands to create unique digital content. And above the tasting bar a circular display features brands that are on show. International Shoppes has also developed content so we can create continuity across each. Digital is a dedicated focus of ours now and it has helped to create an exciting, dynamic atmosphere in the store.”
The IS Duty Free store branding is similar to that in the beauty store opened last year, the company added. The P&C store is performing “tremendously” said the retailer.
Halpern said: “We have had the opportunity to add a further 300sq ft to the beauty space so we are moving Chanel and Dior to new locations, while SK-II has done so well that it will have its own back wall. We will add further new brands to back wall space of 5ft to 12ft and continue to change the range as consumers demand.”
JFK T1 serves only international flights. Key users include Lufthansa, Air France, Korean Air, Japan Airlines, Aeroflot, Eva Air, Air China, China Eastern, Austrian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Alitalia, Royal Air Maroc and others.
