With modernised units, a revitalised offer and an intrinsically ‘local’ flavour, the recently completed retail renovation at Barcelona-El Prat’s Terminal 1 capitalises on Spain’s high-fashion high street heritage, with newly designed shopping facilities that highlight the individuality of inherently Spanish style. Approximately €2 million was invested in the first phase of the airport’s commercial modernisation, which opened to passengers last month, and features 15 new stores selected for their premium quality, and prevalence in Spanish fashion.

The rejuvenation of Barcelona-El Prat’s commercial facilities was part of a reconfiguration of the airport’s Terminal 1 by operator Aena Aeropuertos to make airport shopping a greater focal point of the passenger journey. “The layout of the building itself in Terminal 1 is very well suited to excellent commercial activities, with its beautiful large plaza in the centre of the building,” José Manuel Fernández Bosch, Aena Aeropuertos’ Commercial Services and Property Management Director, said. “This has enabled us to deliver a comprehensive offer in both food & beverage and shopping – we have a great row of shops just in the centre of the plaza and a good number of shops that go around this central area, so we are proposing to the passenger a very wide and extensive offer of stores.”

Following the relocation in 2013 of the principal Barcelona Duty Free shop, operated by World Duty Free Group, to the centre of its Departures area plaza, the airport has now introduced new local brands across the fashion, jewellery, cosmetics and news categories including, among others, Mango Man, Violet by Mango, Oysho, Calzedonia, Wonkandy, Superskunk, Obey Your Body and Aristocrazy.

“I think what differentiates us in Barcelona,” Fernández Bosch continued, “is the varied mix within the shops and retail offer we provide to our passengers. We have a good mix of very exciting high street brands – as well as luxury brands – including important, recognised names that are very successful in Spain like Zara, like Massimo Dutti, like Desigual. But, with Spain being such an important nation in European fashion we wanted to combine with these high street and luxury companies, those smaller, soon-to-be-known fashion brands, that make Barcelona stand out as a city.”

In a refreshing approach to its renovation that prioritises the needs of its brands, as well as the demands of its passengers, Aena executed a comprehensive analysis of the flow of its varied passenger throughput, to ascertain how customers moved around the terminal – and the way in which its new stores could best be located. “We wanted to place the most important shop in the terminal – the main duty free shop – in the best location in the airport, and we wanted to place those very important brands in the key spaces around this shop, brands such as Zara, Massimo Dutti, and Mango – the high street fashion shops are very successful with our highly touristic traffic. We created sufficiently large spaces for these high street fashion stores, and the rest of the offer is dedicated to the more niche brands – specialised fashion, electronics, sunglasses, and custom jewellery,” Fernández Bosch explained. “Then, to the right of the commercial plaza, is the luxury area, being managed by World Duty Free Group, located next to our large passenger lounge and close to the gate used for more international traffic – the passengers most interested in these types of shops.”

The strategic advantage of this approach has already become apparent, with the quality of Barcelona-El Prat’s shopping experience being highly valued by its travellers – something evident in the marked increase in passenger spend that the airport has experienced since the reconfiguration of Terminal 1. “Spend is at a very good level taking into account the type of mix in traffic that we have – which is largely touristic and primarily European, without much long-haul traffic,” Fernández Bosch established. “Spend is very good, passengers are very happy, and our brands are very excited with the final configuration of the terminal.”

The next phase of the ongoing reconfiguration of Barcelona-El Prat’s Terminal 1 will see the renovation of six more retail units, which are now in the process of being awarded, with the tendering process focused on the electronics, sunglasses and fashion sectors. “The next step is we are now trying to define what shops and what brands we can attract to that space, after which we will develop the international area upstairs – the area after security and before the lower commercial plaza, a non-Schengen area where brands will have the opportunity to develop new spaces and a new commercial offer,” Fernández Bosch said.