Page 18 - ASUTIL 2023

INSIDER

Duty Fly new airport concessionaire in Bolivia

Bolivian fragrance specialist Distribuidora Aromas expands into full airport retailing with
new Duty Fly subsidiary. John Gallagher reports.

Duty Fly, a wholly owned subsidiary end, we would be interested in presenting Fly operations will offer the full range
of Distribuidora Aromas, Bolivia’s leading them with proposals to take the retail of traditional duty free categories in the
perfumes and cosmetic distributor, is the operations at the airport to a new level.” Bolivian airport stores.
new duty free concession holder at the El When their contract commenced, the Antelo says: “We will be selling all
Alto International Airport in La Paz and Aromas group started to renovate both normal duty free categories that are sold
Viru Viru International Airport in Santa stores through its own retail architect, Tito in Latin America. Apart from fragrances,
Cruz, Bolivia. Chajtur. which is clearly a category we know, we
Duty Fly is currently operating a 500 “We are pleased to say that the shops will be selling the leading brands of liquor,
sq. meters departures store in Santa Cruz are now operating with the furniture and tobacco, confectionery, accessories, and
and a 350 sq. meters departures store in La fixtures that we planned, and that sales are technology. These categories are new for
Paz. in line with our initial targets,” says Antelo. the company but both the team and I have
According to company CEO, Remer “Our corporate objective is to a fair bit of knowledge of these newer
Antelo, the company took over the duty consolidate these stores over the next few products and the brands that the travelers
free concessions on January 1 of this year, months, but we will be looking to develop using our airports are looking for.”
following a lengthy [bidding] process. the Duty Fly brand in other places if the
right opportunities were to appear.” Nearly 30-year history in prestige
Adding duty free to domestic market While arrivals duty free is a major fragrance business
“We are always looking at ways factor in many Latin American airports, Founded in May 1996, Distribuidora
of increasing our business activities and especially Brazil, there is currently no Aromas has extensive experience in
adding to our perfumes and fragrances arrivals duty fee in Bolivia. fragrance distribution and pioneered the
operation. Traveling though our home “But we are talking to the government growth of prestige brands in the country’s
airports on a regular basis, we thought that about the possibility of Arrivals Duty Free. domestic market. VALAYA
we could do a very good job in the duty We know that many passengers who use “Initially, we worked with Motta
free stores in Santa Cruz and La Paz,” our airports have that opportunity when Internacional to ensure the best logistics
Antelo tells TMI. they travel and we would like to offer this performance. Up until the mid-nineties,
“We let the government and airport to them,” noted Antelo. high end perfumes and fragrances were
managers know that when the contract of Although specialists in selling sold in Bolivia alongside massively
the incumbent concessionaire was about to perfumes and cosmetics, the new Duty distributed personal care products. But the

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ASUTIL Special Issue June 2023 18 55 April 2023 Summit of the Americas