Page 18 - IAADFS Summit of the Americas 2025 Special Issue

INSIDER

Core Plus Duty Free expands on its success at Melbourne with JV win at
MCO and new travel retail concepts

Core Plus Duty Free (CPDF), which
in 2024 completed its third year operating
out of Florida’s Melbourne Orlando
International Airport with record sales, is
eyeing new horizons beyond Melbourne
with potential duty free expansions,
exciting new brand partnerships, and new
concepts that could shake up the travel
retail space.

Orlando JV
In its first venture outside of
Melbourne, Core Plus Duty Free CEO/
Founder Brittany Williams Leverett tells
TMI that CPDF is part of a joint venture
that won a concession to operate four
travel retail stores in Orlando International
Airport (MCO). CPDF is partnering
with travel retailer NewsLink, Siboney
Wine and Spirits Merchants, Transglobal
Concessions LLC (experts in global
concession management) and Newburns
Management Group LLC (advocates for Melbourne: Back to back record sales experience, and coming back for more,”
small and minority-owned businesses). years she said.
“The stores will offer some very CPDF’s operations in Melbourne just “We really have curated a great
exciting concepts and be located in pre- chalked up back-to-back years of more than portfolio, like unique liquor products,
and post-security locations. The stores a million dollars in sales – despite a sharp and stopped selling items that didn’t
are expected to open in first quarter 2026. decrease in passenger numbers. work. We added new products that people
We are very excited, because it’s a large “Melbourne saw a 20,000 passenger were asking for. So just being nimble
ACDBE participation between all of us, decrease in international traffic due to enough to make those changes, made a
and allows CPDF to venture into the travel a suspended cruise line partnership for huge difference,” said Williams Leverett.
retail world, and add that to our portfolio several weeks, but we delivered back-to- “Our sales increase reflects our growing
in addition to duty free,” said Williams back million-dollar sales years and saw a customers and enthusiasm.”
Leverett, who noted that more ventures will 15.6% jump in average transaction value.
be announced soon. Customers are spending more, loving the Looking for a DF niche
Meanwhile, Williams Leverett says
that Core Plus Duty Free is looking to
expand further into duty free by pursuing a
very specific niche.
“My goal is to try to create offerings
for smaller airports. For example, some
airports I’ve been eyeing have flights
to Mexico but no other international
destinations, and they don’t even realize
duty free is an option. I want to present that
opportunity to them.”
Brittany Williams Leverett and
her duty free team will be attending the
Summit of the Americas. She can be
reached at brittany@lcgroupnc.com.

Core Plus Duty Free CEO and Founder Brittany Williams Leverett, left, with her enthusiastic
team, delivered a second year of record sales, despite a drop in passenger numbers

Summit of the Americas March 2025 18