Sydney Airport and retailer Heinemann have revealed plans to launch Australia’s first airport ‘department store’, in good news for those who love a spot of shopping before flying.
Scheduled to open in July 2023, the department store concept will operate at terminals T2 and T3 at Sydney Domestic Airport.
Spanning 1,765 sqm in T2 and 506 sqm in T3, the mega-stores will offer products across fashion, accessories, jewellery, perfumes, cosmetics, confectionery and liquor, among other items.
Each store’s products will be tailored to the varying demands of both terminals.
For example, the T2 store will feature designer streetwear and niche perfumes aimed at younger and more leisure-oriented travellers, while the T3 outlet will boast more luxury products targeting business travellers and other discerning shoppers.
“The retail experience in our T1 International terminal is amongst the best in the world and I’m excited that we are now able to bring a similar experience to domestic passengers,” Sydney Airport executive general manager – commercial Mark Zaouk said.
“Heinemann delivered a strong vision for what we wanted to achieve, and it was a natural fit to extend our partnership to T2 and 3 to provide a cohesive, high-quality shopping experience across the airport.”
Heinemann Asia Pacific chief executive Marvin von Plato said the new stores would be “a huge opportunity to engage with customers well before and after they actually travel, reinforcing our goal to be a valuable travel companion”.
“This also represents a natural extension of our relationship with our brand partners into the domestic market,” he remarked.
Home delivery, click and collect and more
Heinemann Australia managing director George Tsoukalas said the duty-free specialist would be offering “more brands and value-added services like home delivery, all enhancing the customer experience”.
“We are also thrilled to pioneer this new concept in Australia, which we know customers will love,” he added.
“This new concession is the fruit of the great trust and collaboration we have built with Sydney Airport in our duty-free business and we are delighted to have the opportunity to deepen our partnership with them.”
Operating the stores on a five-year concession, Heinemann will deploy its Heinemann & Me loyalty program as well as click and collect services in the new airport offering.
Australia’s busiest air hub says it expects to welcome more than 2.2 million passengers through its terminals during the holiday season between 12 December and 1 January.
