Ireland’s ARI Raises The Retail Bar In Portugal’s Key Airports

Aer Rianta International (ARI), the international arm of Ireland’s airport operator, Aer Rianta, unveiled new Portugal Duty Free stores this week after almost three years of redevelopment, which the retailer believes sets a new standard in global airport shopping.

In February 2022, following a tender process, ARI was selected to be the retail partner of Portuguese airport operator ANA Aeroportos de Portugal, part of France’s Vinci Airports, which operates more than 70 airports in 14 countries. ARI took control of retail outlets across Portugal’s eight main airports, equating to almost 108,000 square feet of retail space. The Portugal Duty Free concept opened its doors to passengers in June 2022, with refurbishment works—costing millions of dollars—beginning shortly afterward.

Only now is the full finished product available to passengers, The objective was to encapsulate the essence of Portugal—from its landscape and food to its artistry and heritage—inside the stores and create a memorable experience for shoppers. Among the main airports of Portugal, each shopping location, be it Lisbon Duty Free, Porto Duty Free, Faro Duty Free, Madeira Duty Free, or Azores Duty Free, has its own identity.

According to a statement from ARI, Portugal Duty Free “delivers a masterclass in modern sense of place.” Some of the elements that deliver this are a Lisbon #28 tram in the Lisbon Airport store and a vintage Volkswagen California camper van in Faro Airport’s retail area. Such features give passengers Instagrammable photo opportunities that they seem to crave.

Doubling down on the local focus, Portugal Duty Free now sells more than 1,000 locally produced items, many exclusive to the airport. For example, the Sabores de Portugal in-store concept celebrates fine Portuguese cuisine, including the globally popular pastéis de nata (custard tarts) which are delivered daily to the airport.

The Port Cellar (see picture above) boasts what ARI claims is “the country’s best port wine offering.” More than 230 local ports are available in a cellar-style space. At Lisbon Airport—renamed Humberto Delgado in 2016 after the politician who founded TAP Air Portugal and ran against the Estado Novo dictatorship in 1958—there is also an ‘Eco Area’ housing over 100 sustainably sourced products that should pique the interest of environmentally minded shopper.

Even across the international brands that will be more familiar to passengers, ARI has brought in some new names that capture the current zeitgeist such as Charlotte Tilbury, Le Labo, Sol de Janeiro, and Creed (which is exclusively available in the airport and not yet in the local market). These offerings add to ARI’s existing Pre-Loved boutique at Lisbon Airport which sells vintage luxury fashion; as well as other stores like Victoria’s Secret and a new Lego store.

ARI sticks to tender plans

Ray Hernan, ARI’s CEO, commented: “We are incredibly proud to showcase the new Portugal Duty Free stores, which we believe have raised the bar for our industry. We have demonstrated how ARI is committed to delivering on its promises; taking concepts and making them a reality—the designs, renders and plans presented in our original tender bid to ANA/Vinci Airports have now been brought to life.”

He added: “I must also commend our teams, both global and local. Looking back to June 2022, stores were flipped in just nine hours, and just 63 working days after the awarding of our contract. Over 600 new colleagues joined our business overnight. Collaborative partnerships are the foundation of our business and we have big ambitions to continue to grow our operations in Portugal together with ANA/Vinci Airports.”

ANA has been upgrading its airport infrastructure in Portugal supported by Vinci to create better travel environments that can support the economic development of the regions where the airports operate. ANA’s CEO, Thierry Ligonnière, described the new stores as “exceptional new spaces” that would enhance the passenger experience.

This is particularly important in Lisbon which, as a hub for TAP Air Portugal, competes for connecting market share with Madrid in the Iberian peninsula, and more broadly across Europe. Latin American markets, notably Brazil, are fiercely contested. Last year, Humberto Delgado processed 35 million passengers, a new record.

TAP Air Portugal is celebrating its 80^th anniversary this month and is among the country’s three largest exporters. In 2024, the airline flew to 84 cities; 10 in North America, 14 in South America, 12 in Africa, 6 in Portugal, and 42 in the rest of Europe. In total, the carrier transported more than 16 million passengers last year. Of this, two million were to Brazil a new record for this market and a target nationality for ARI in Lisbon.