Page 33 - TFWA World Exhibition and Conference 2025

INSIDER

Avolta opens Foz do Iguaçu border store

Avolta Brazil has officially opened its in Rio Grande do Sul since 2019. We world’s number one travel retailer opened a
new 1,000-sqm Brazilian border store in will bring the best of Avolta to one space 500-sqm duty free store at the international
Foz do Iguaçu, the border town adjacent offering shoppers a premium sensory and bridge crossing that links the Uruguayan
to the Brazilian borders with Paraguay and seamless experience connecting the best town of Fray Bentos with Gualeguaychú in
Argentina. brands with customer needs and desires.” Argentina.
The new store was opened in the “Foz is an excellent tourist destination In addition to the border stores
Catuaí Palladium shopping mall, which with great potential, and Catuaí Palladium mentioned, Avolta operates arrivals and
already hosts duty free stores managed by meets exactly our expectations. We are departures stores in various airports across
Cellshop do Brasil and Paris Duty Free. going to have an enormous success story Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile,
With the new Dufry store, Catuaí will have here,” adds Fagundes. “The business is and Ecuador.
more than 4,500 sqm of duty free shopping. preparing a strong promotional campaign, With the addition of the Dufry
Gustavo Fagundes CEO of Avolta focused on frequent travelers, which – Avolta store, the Catuaí Palladium
Brazil confirmed to TMI that the store exceeds 1.5 million people, according shopping mall located on Avenida das
will offer all key duty free categories to to the travel club. We will work on Cataratas in Foz do Iguaçu, a tourist
Brazilian, Argentine, Paraguayan, and other promotions, competitive prices, and robust corridor leading to the Iguaçu Falls, hotels,
international tourists visiting the region. social media communication, highlighting and resorts becomes one of the most
“Avolta is committed to advancing that Foz is a complete destination for important tourist destinations in the Triple
border retail in Brazil and we will continue tourism, leisure, and shopping. The strategy Frontier region.
investing in innovation and operational for Foz goes beyond product sales.” The Catuaí Palladium mall welcomes
excellence. We will use the experience that The new store in Foz do Iguaçu over 2.6 million visitors annually and the
Dufry do Brasil - Avolta has gained from will be Avolta’s third non-airport store in mall management estimates that over half
operating an 850-sqm store in Uruguaiana Latin America. Only four months ago, the of this number visits the duty free shops. In
addition to shopping, the space also offers
leisure, dining, and events, employing over
1,200 people in the city.
“This is an important moment for the
mall and the city. Dufry’s arrival positions
Catuaí Palladium as an international
shopping hub and strengthens Foz do
Iguaçu’s position in the national duty
free market,” says João Bazzon, the
superintendent of Catuaí.
The border duty free market in
Brazil continues to grow. In 2024 alone,
the country generated R$530 million in
revenue from the sector. Foz do Iguaçu
accounted for over R$120 million of this
total, second only to Uruguaiana.
JG

33 October 2025