Qatar Duty Free (QDF) is embarking on an overhaul of its expansive retail and dining offer at Hamad International Airport (HIA), Vice President Thabet Musleh revealed to DFNI during a recent visit to the Qatar Airways Group HQ in Doha.
Thabet Musleh
The QDF team is preparing a redevelopment of its flagship South Node duty free space across the perfumes & cosmetics and liquor & tobacco categories over 2019-2020.
At the same time, the company is planning the retail for HIA’s Phase II expansion and new terminal project, which will see retail space expand to a mammoth 75,000sqm; almost double the current 40,000sqm. It is set to open by 2022.
DFNI travelled to Doha last week to meet with Qatar Airways Group CEO HE Akbar Al Baker, Hamad International Airport COO Eng. Badr Al Meer and Qatar Duty Free Vice President Thabet Musleh. The full interviews can be found in the January 2019 print edition of DFNI.
Perfumes & cosmetics will be expanded by over 50% to meet sales demand
The first step will be a full-scale refurbishment of the current core liquor, tobacco, food & confectionery space. “This is a huge 1,600-1,700sqm redesign, from floor to ceiling. It will include a few surprises to be revealed in time,” said Musleh.
Meanwhile, the space dedicated to perfumes & cosmetics (P&C) will be expanded by over 50%, he revealed. “P&C is a growing category and doing really well for us. We need to ensure we give it the footprint it deserves and meet sales demand. There are also a growing number of brands wanting to come in and we really lack space,” Musleh explained.
The P&C refurbishment will commence at the end of 2019 with an aim for completion by Q1 2020.
Luxury is also doing well and QDF is planning a pop-up area for new and niche brands
Luxury is also doing well and QDF is planning to repurpose a high-footfall open area currently dedicated to sunglasses for luxury pop-ups. “This will allow different brands to come in every few months to trial new collections. It’s also a good opportunity for niche brands to gauge business.
“Every single category plays a role, whether that’s Arabic sweets or Rolex watches to Nido milk powder. We need to ensure that we deliver to the customers’ needs,” he added.
QDF is also set to redevelop its food & beverage (F&B) offering between now and Q1 2020, including the opening of the world’s first airport Harrods Café.
HIA has two Harrods store and is set to open the world’s first Harrods airport cafe
75,000sqm retail footprint
HIA will commence its much-anticipated Phase II expansion and new terminal project, which will see passenger capacity double to 60 million, in Q1 this year. It is set for completion in time for the FIFA World Cup 2022, which will be held in Qatar.
Badr Al Meer
Phase II will include the redevelopment of the existing terminals’ facilities across the South and North nodes in the existing terminal. This will include retail, dining, new first and business class lounges in the North node and the expansion of the Oryx Airport Hotel.
“In 2020, it will be two years to the World Cup so we need to focus on the extension. We have already started to think about retail and designed the look. We will start looking at brands and allocating space in 2020. The retail space will be around 75,000sqm in the new terminal, almost double the current 40,000sqm,” said Musleh.
Hamad International Airport COO Eng. Badr Al Meer told DFNI: “We are very much focused on the expansion of our facilities as we look ahead to FIFA 2022. We are enhancing operational efficiency through training, introducing new systems and procedures.
“We are also accelerating our digital transformation plan, bringing in the latest technology and implementing innovative solutions. We will also explore the potential use of augmented reality and virtual reality for various operational concepts.”
Video: DFNI takes a tour around Hamad International Airport
“Total passenger experience under one roof”
L-R: Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive HE Akbar Al Baker, DFNI-Frontier Editor Kapila Ireland; DFNI-Frontier Associate Publisher Amanda Felix; Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Marketing & Corporate Communications at Qatar Airways Salam Shawa; Qatar Duty Free Vice President Thabet Musleh
Service is at the heart of the Qatar Airways Group, which includes the airline, Hamad International Airport and Qatar Duty Free among its subsidiaries.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive HE Akbar Al Baker told DFNI in an exclusive interview: “We offer what passengers want – an experience. There is no airline in the industry that has the total passenger experience under one roof. Hamad International was built under the supervision of Qatar Airways. We were instrumental in the design and the amenities that it will contain for our passengers. From the airline’s point of view, we made sure that every single passenger requirement, regardless in which class you’re travelling, is taken into consideration.”
Regarding the duty free offer, he added: “We want an experience for passengers that is not of an airport. Once they are in our duty free, they feel that they are somewhere in a shopping mall. We also provide a product that is for everybody. From a housemaid to a labourer to a VVIP, we have a range of products to suit all customers.
“This is very important because, being a hub between east and west, we have people from all levels of society passing through. You cannot have a duty free that is only focused on a certain bracket of people.”
See DFNI January 2019 for the full interviews with Qatar Airways Group CEO HE Akbar Al Baker, Hamad International Airport COO Eng. Badr Al Meer and Qatar Duty Free Vice President Thabet Musleh.