Swiss duty free retailer Dufry was the only bidder for a contract to run the shops at Spain's two largest airports in Madrid and Barcelona, operator Aena confirmed on Tuesday.
Dufry, which already operates the shops in these two airports, offered to pay €185 million in rents for the retail space in the first year of the contract, Aena told Reuters, confirming earlier reports from Spanish newspapers Expansion and Cinco Dias.
'Opportunities'
Aena did not disclose how much Dufry paid in 2022 and Dufry did not immediately respond to request for comment.
The Spanish airport operator had granted contracts for retail space in its other airports in Spain to a series of companies including Dufry and France's Lagardere Aena said it did not get a satisfying offer for the Madrid and Barcelona airports in May.
Before Aena opened a second tender for the two big airports, Dufry insisted it found "the attractiveness of the Spanish airport operations", adding it would "consider any opportunities when they arise."
Global
Dufry has 5,500 outlets in 1,200 locations across 75 countries.
The company's retail brands include Hudson, World Duty Free, Hellenic Duty Free Shops, Reg Staer, Colombian Emeralds, Duty Free Uruguay, and Duty Free Shop Argentina.
Dufry is also used as a brand name for some general travel retail shops.
New Strategy
The majority of the Dufry workforce operates in airports, seaports, cruise ships and similar environments.
In its 2022 annual report, the company noted that its 'new strategy, characterised by customer centricity and value generation for concession partners, brand suppliers and shareholders, will deliver long-term growth, sustainable profits and strong cash flows.'
News by Reuters, edited by ESM – your source for the latest retail news. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
