Lagardère Travel Retail seizes new growth opportunities in South America by winning major Foodservice tender in Chile

Lagardère Travel Retail has been successful in a tender initiated by Arturo-Merino-Benítez airport in Santiago de Chile to operate 20 Foodservice outlets, in partnership with Chilean company Global Group Corporation (GGCorp). These openings mark the first time Lagardère Travel Retail operates in South America and in Chile, a market which offers remarkable growth prospects for the company’s future regional development and in terms of regional and international air traffic.

Lagardère Travel Retail and Global Group Corporation have been awarded a concession contract to build and run 20 Foodservice outlets at Arturo-Merino-Benítez airport in Santiago de Chile. The stores will be located in both the existing and new terminal of the airport, for a total commercial surface of 3,600 square meters and will be opening between July 2021, with the opening of the New International Terminal of Santiago Airport, and January 2022, when the existing Terminal will be remodeled. Lagardère Travel Retail and Global Group Corporation have formed a joint venture to run this new operation. Global Group Corporation, one of the four branches of Grupo GP Holding, is a Chilean leading corporation with long lasting expertise in advertising, F&B operations, parking system management and ground handling.

The winning proposal submitted by the partners includes a mix of international and local Foodservice concepts, as well as internal brands such as Natoo. A key success factor for this successful bid has been the ability to bring together the best of global and local, and to develop concepts that are truly representative of what the Chilean culture and cuisine have best to offer.

Commenting on this announcement, Jean-Baptiste Morin, COO Americas at Lagardère Travel Retail said: “We’re delighted to be stepping foot in South America with a strong partnership with both the airport and GGCorp. The region offers very exciting prospects for growth that we are confident can be fully realized when the sanitary situation will be controlled. Arturo-Merino-Benítez proves it by investing into the future of its retail facilities and by modernizing its infrastructure. Most importantly this sends a strong signal of optimism on both parts: we get on with business because we are hopeful for a brighter future and want to be where the growth is.”

Felipe Elgueta, Director of GGCorp, said: “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Groupe ADP and VINCI Airports on the new terminal project in Santiago. Our company has been working for more than 17 years at Arturo Merino Benitez Airport in various businesses from advertising, with Massiva, to gastronomy with GGCorp. We are very proud to be partners of Lagardère Travel Retail and we are sure that together we will be able to improve the experience at the airport, which will have a capacity for 30 million passengers. We strongly believe in the airport industry and its early recovery.”

Xavier Lortat-Jacob, CEO of Nuevo Pudahuel, commented: “The new international terminal of Arturo Merino Benítez Airport brought together two leaders in airport operations, such as Groupe ADP and VINCI Airports. This new infrastructure will not only allow us to lead Santiago airport into the front row of the region but also grow the connectivity of the country as we have already done in the past 5 years. We are very proud that Lagardère Travel Retail and Global Group Corporation will be part of this wonderful and successful project as we aim for excellence and success.”

Lagardère Travel Retail expects over 380 staff will be hired locally by 2023. Arturo-Merino-Benítez is one of South America’s busiest airports and has received 14 million of domestic passengers, and 11 million international passengers in 2019. The airport has done considerable efforts to modernize its infrastructure notably by building a new terminal – which will open to passengers in July 2021.