DENMARK. Heinemann unveiled its revamped core duty free store at Copenhagen Airport (CPH) to media on Tuesday and said that it expected the refreshed unit to see sales rise by at least +10% as a result of the changes.
The Hamburg-based global travel retailer has added strong Copenhagen theming – plus features that will attract Millennial travellers in particular – at the redeveloped and expanded 2,800sq m store (an increase of 200sq m).
Gebr Heinemann Executive Director for Retail and HR Raoul Spanger said: “The city of Copenhagen is one of the most important centres of design, fashion and beauty trends and therefore a perfect source of inspiration for us. This is why we specially opted for a Copenhagen-styled shop concept inspired by an even greater local sense. Together with the airport, we have implemented the shop of the future in Copenhagen.”
Design elements, developed by Johannes Torpe Studios, include an emphasis on bright, modern colours as found in the Nyhavn area of the city; greenery and plants throughout to represent the parks and lush areas of the Danish capital; cheerful light garlands as found on Copenhagen’s waterfront promenades; a nod to the city’s cargo bikes; and a generally ‘homey’ feel that combines modernity and tradition.
From a commercial perspective there are digital interfaces to engage consumers, more cross-category promotions to leverage sales across departments (for example Cognac with chocolate), numerous decoration columns acting as anchor points for better orientation, and an effort to clearly present discounted products to travellers.
This has been achieved by placing them near to the curvy central walkway to encourage customers to stop and rummage in ‘bargain bins’ at the start of the shop for instance, or examine pallet-style stacks of ‘super deals’ further into the retail space.
Gebr Heinemann Director of Retail Sales Sören Borch, explained: “We want to create exclusive areas where you can find the latest brands, but at the same time we see a huge growth in low-cost traffic and Millennials. Therefore we have developed impulse areas that are price driven.”
‘HYGGE’ PHENOMENON BROUGHT TO LIFE
The standout feature of the new store is the debut of #LookLab, the shop-in-shop dedicated to colour cosmetics.
It offers novel features such as a Korean brands section (including TonyMoly and Dr Jart+), niche cosmetics to attract younger travellers, a well publicised ‘selfie point’, all in an airy space that is not height-restricted like much of the rest of the store.
Shoppers can immediately upload images from the #LookLab photo booth to the 64 digital screens – called the ‘Whirlwind’ – that hang like a large digital chandelier.
A digital wall also allows customers to change the images on the Whirlwind to graphics from a pre-set selection, as well as find other interesting information that could be music or lifestyle related.