Epta partners with Lagardère travel retail at Frankfurt Airport

Last year, air travel was a rarity, and the pandemic took its toll, especially on the tourism industry. Nevertheless, many players in the sector are optimistic about the future. "We are positive," says Waldemar Preis, Head of Shopfitting at Lagardère Travel Retail, one of the world's largest providers of travel-related retail. "Because when the virus is fully under control, its impact on tourism will also disappear 100 percent. Therefore, we expect a strong increase in private travel." The company's optimistic outlook is also reflected in its activities: Lagardère Travel Retail has just opened ten shops at Berlin Airport BER - and shortly before that, a new one at Frankfurt Airport.

SUCCESSFUL IN TRAVEL RETAIL

The Hub Convenience is located "airside," in the departure area behind security controls, and therefore, it places special demands on suppliers, service providers, and employees. Lagardère Travel Retail specializes in building logistics and networks at airports and certifying service providers so that they receive the necessary security clearances and work permits. As such, Lagardère Travel Retail operates more than 30 shops under various brand names at the airport, including Trib’s and Relay. "The German market still has a lot of potential because there are a relatively large number of train stations and airports in a relatively small area," explains Waldemar Preis. He is responsible for the planning and implementation of new shop concepts and has been involved in the development of the Hub Convenience from start to finish.

CHILLED ISLAND FOR SUSHI AND MORE

The shop opened at Frankfurt Airport in April 2021 offers travelers everything they need before boarding a plane: from books and magazines to souvenirs and colorful socks, to coffee, beverages, sushi, sandwiches, and gum. This concept has been implemented several times in Germany by the French company. However, for the first time, Epta supplied the refrigerated furniture for a Hub Convenience: In the two semi-high plug-in self-service counters Stage/Latitude from Costan/Bonnet Névé, sandwiches and sushi are offered. For the presentation of the extensive chilled beverage range - from smoothies to sports drinks to non-alcoholic beverages - three tall integral refrigerated units, Tango Next/Multifresh Plus, were chosen. To match the look and feel of the store, all refrigerated units were clad with wood panels or integrated into the wood cladding of the store.

RELIABLE PARTNER WORLDWIDE

"When I joined the company two and a half years ago, I reached out to Epta Deutschland because our parent company has been working with Epta France for a long time," explains Waldemar Preis. "The Epta Group is the largest supplier to Lagardère Travel Retail in about eight countries." Epta won a major refrigeration tender last year. What convinced Waldemar Preis and his colleagues? "The use of space, the versatility, and primarily the energy efficiency of the refrigerated furniture were decisive," he says. "We also factored in the ongoing costs associated with energy efficiency, and Epta came out on top." Preis is also very satisfied with the selected furniture in the Hub Convenience. In his opinion, the refrigerated shelves make the best possible use of the available space, especially for beverages.