Zurich Airport to further develop commercial experience in expanded partnership with Avolta

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience

Zurich Airport has extended its longstanding duty free partnership with Avolta through 2035, enabling continued investment in commercial areas and positioning The Circle as a hub for testing new travel retail innovations.

Summary:

Zurich Airport extends Avolta duty free concession through 2035, strengthening a longstanding partnership covering duty free, convenience and food & beverage across 17 locations.
Long-term agreement enables targeted commercial investment, enhancing retail and dining experiences for passengers at Switzerland’s largest airport.
The Circle to serve as an innovation hub for Avolta Next, with new travel retail concepts and technologies tested at Zurich Airport before wider rollout.

Zurich Airport – a Partner of the FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Working Group – is continuing its partnership with longstanding travel retail and travel food & beverage operator Avolta. The existing duty free contract, originally set to run until 2028, has been extended by seven years through 2035. In addition, Avolta will further expand its presence at The Circle.

Avolta operates the Zurich Duty Free stores at Zurich Airport across a total of 17 locations. With the contract extension, both companies will continue their partnership in the duty free business. The extension also includes the convenience and food & beverage segments.

“Zurich Airport Ltd is delighted to continue its successful partnership with Avolta and to further develop the commercial experience at Switzerland’s largest airport together,” said Stefan Gross, Chief Commercial Officer, Zurich Airport.

Heidi Köpple, Head Commercial Centers, Zurich Airport; Lukas Brosi, CEO, Zurich Airport; Stefan Gross, CCO, Zurich Airport; Luis Marin, President & CEO EMEA, Avolta; and Stefan Seiz, GM Switzerland, Avolta.

The early renewal of the concession agreements provides planning certainty and enables continued targeted investment in the further development of commercial areas. At the same time, it ensures that passengers will continue to benefit from an attractive and comprehensive offering.

In addition, Avolta will further expand its presence at The Circle, Zurich Airport’s business and services centre, and continue to develop the location in a targeted manner. As part of ‘Avolta Next’, innovations will be developed and tested there and made visible across Avolta’s operations. This will position Zurich Airport as an innovation hub within the Avolta Group.

“This extension reflects the strength of our partnership with Zurich Airport, a proof point of our combined business model, and the confidence placed in Avolta’s ability to deliver consistently at scale,” said Luis Marin, President & CEO EMEA, Avolta.

Under the Zurich Duty Free brand, Avolta operates several duty free shops across the terminal areas of Zurich Airport. In addition, it is active in the travel retail and convenience stores with Hudson Shops and in the food & beverage segment. In cooperation with partners, Avolta operates a range of dining concepts, including brands from the Autogrill Group, which became part of Avolta in 2023 following the business combination.