Luxury department store Harrods has opened a boutique store in London Gatwick’s South Terminal.
The upmarket retailer’s Gatwick store is focused on luxury fashion, jewelry and accessories, and offers brands such as DKNY, Paul Smith and Armani Jeans. The shop also includes a Harrods’ Food Hall area, as well the opportunity for customers to buy own-brand gifts from the world-famous retailer.
The opening of the 6,000 sq ft store forms part of a £21m revamp of the South Terminal departure lounge. A further 22 new and revamped stores will open by the end of the year.
It comes during one of Gatwick’s busiest times of the year, with the airport expecting to handle over three million departing passengers over the six-week school summer break. It follows the opening of ten new and refurbished stores in the South Terminal. The first phase of retail outlets, which includes Hugo Boss, Kurt Geiger and Lacoste, opened their doors on July 18. A further 12 new or refurbished stores, mainly fashion-focused; will complete what the airport has called the terminal’s retail transformation.
Head of retail at London Gatwick, Spencer Sheen said: “This year, we will spend £21 million in the South Terminal departure lounge to enhance our retail offering and ensure we deliver a world-class experience for our passengers.
“The new Harrods store at Gatwick is a very important part of this. Not only does it look fantastic, the boutique offers an excellent mix of brands that will delight our passengers.”
London Gatwick, the UK’s second largest airport and the busiest single-runway airport in the world, changed hands nearly four years ago to current owners, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). GIP, the majority shareholder of a group of international investment funds, revealed a £1 billion programme of improvements designed to transform the passenger experience at Gatwick in 2010.
The airport has scored a string of airport firsts and innovations, including the launch of Jamie Oliver’s first airport restaurant. It has successfully won a number of key international routes, and has had millions of pounds worth of improvements.
It is also a major economic driver for the South-east, creating around 23,000 on-airport jobs and a further 13,000 jobs through related activities.
