As part of its ongoing development of its retail offer, Dubai Duty Free has opened a new Arrivals Shop in Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport.

The new Dubai Duty Free Arrivals Shop features a total retail space of 1,100sqm, which is a significant increase over its previous retail area of 660sqm. The additional area is mainly in front of the demise line of the old shop, and the new shop has been designed to significantly improve the visibility of the shop to arriving passengers within the large baggage hall.

Commenting on the opening, Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Colm McLoughlin said, 'We are very pleased with the outcome of the new Arrivals shop and think that our customers are going to love it. Arrivals sales account for 9% of our business and it is a sector that we want to grow. A high percentage of our Arrivals customers are UAE residents who travel several times a year and they are going to appreciate the new shop for its ease of access, its high-end design and the extensive products on offers, including travel retail exclusives. We are very excited about this new opening.'

For the first time, the new Arrivals Shop offers arriving passengers the chance to purchase from the entire Liquor range of Dubai Duty Free, which features over 2500 products, including 121 Travel Retail exclusives and 41 products that are exclusive to Dubai Duty Free alone.

Commenting on the new shop opening, Ramesh Cidambi, Chief Operating Officer, Dubai Duty Free said: 'The new shop is much more visible and passengers will start to see shop earlier as they come down the moving walk-ways in the middle of the hall. The combination of strong signage and use of digital screens makes the shop front very attractive. And a customer entering the shop will find a great retail offer in the Wines and Spirits category, and growing this category is important due to the taxation issues around Tobacco in Arrivals. There are many new retail elements here introduced for the first time including a salon area for customers buying premium wines and spirits. These new elements results in a much better retail experience for our customers.'

To add to the enjoyment of the shopping experience each category has been given a distinct personality with its own palette of materials and customized designs.

At the entrance, there is a striking Champagne wall designed by Moet - Hennessey for their in-house brands and a generic area for others, as well as a prominent digital screen for features and promotions.

To reflect the growing demand for Malt, this category also has a front of house feature that allows customers to identify it with ease and to experience a personal service that helps them make informed purchases with confidence. Currently there are 19 malts that are exclusively available at Dubai Duty Free.

Given the popularity of the Gin category, there is a new dedicated area – 'Keep Your Gin Up' which will eventually have over 50 Gins of which 15 will be exclusive to this new Arrivals Shop. This area reflects the huge growth that this category has undergone as a result of premiumization and craft brands.

'Here for the Beer' is another brand personalized area with additional space given to the category in response to the growing demand from discerning customers for 'light' and 'craft' beers. The innovative Heineken back wall display also draws customers to the rear of the shop as it is clearly visible from the entrance. Eight of the new beer products will only be available in this shop.

The 'Happy Landing Bar' is an attractive feature in the centre of the shop that takes advantage of a large pillar and has been designed to house a concept for white spirits, concentrating primarily on vodka. The circular unit can have multiple uses for promotions, particularly those that engage with and educate customers in a fun way.

'On the Rocks' is for the important Whisky category and houses all the remaining products outside of Malts that are at the front of the Arrivals shop. Many of the Whisky promotions will be presented here along with ten exclusive items only available in this shop.

More fun is presented with the 'Tuktuk' vehicle which has been given a quirky design and has been converted into a mobile chiller. The open fridges integrated inside of the Tuktuk house multiple items from chilled wines/champagnes, mixers, beers and others.

The elegant Salon Prive offers a personalized service for customers buying premium wines and spirits. The glass-walled lounge is temperature-controlled with a seating area where customers can meet with specially trained wine and spirits advisors with a wealth of product knowledge. The Salon Prive is the anchor for the larger wine area in the centre of the shop which has been segmented to allow customers to easily navigate the world of wine. Wine & Champagne are a major contributor to Arrival sales at Dubai Duty Free and this is well reflected in its representation here.

A dedicated area for Tobacco is included in the new shop, including a built-in humidor. While a representation of other categories, such as Perfumes & Cosmetics, Electronics, Confectionary and toys, are located at the newly designed check out system, ideal for impulse purchases.

The Click and Collect service, which allows customers to collect items purchased online or in departures, is given a dedicated space at the entrance of the shop and is adjacent to the upgraded Millennium Millionaire and Finest Surprise counter featuring a luxury car display.

Digital screens have been added throughout the shop to support the unique personalities of each category area with an ability to tell passengers stories relevant to those categories of products. The design of the shop is also very much focused on the product presentation and visual merchandising.

This opening marks the next stage of Dubai Duty Free’s expansion plan at Dubai International Airport which includes the second phase refurbishment of the two FoodPlus shops in Concourse B and the continued enhancement of its retail offer within the Fashion category, which will continue in the second half of the year.