Lithuanian Airports, the company that manages Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga Airports, has launched an international lease tender to attract a retail convenience store operator. The selected partner will operate convenience stores at all three of the country’s airports.
The plan is to lease about 515m2 of retail space to the operator, for three stores in Vilnius, two stores in Kaunas and one store in Palanga Airport. In Vilnius, the stores will be located in the new departure terminal, as well as in the current arrivals terminal and in the area of the current departure terminal behind the security checkpoint. One store at Kaunas Airport will be located on the first floor, next to the arrivals hall, while the other one will be on the second floor, beyond the security area. The store at Palanga Airport will be located next to the security checkpoint.
One of the main conditions of the lease tender is to provide a standard range of fast and convenient shopping experiences in these new shops to meet the essential needs of passengers. It will be necessary to offer an appropriate range of products, such as coffee, hot and cold snacks, souvenirs, a variety of travel essentials, magazines, small travel electronics, etc. Shelves to provide medical and hygiene products are also included.
The tender winner is to be announced in June 2024. The lease will span seven years, with the possibility of extending it for an additional period.
A total of four international tenders are scheduled in 2024. The first, for convenience retail, has already been initiated, while another is dedicated to selecting a duty-free operator. Two tenders are planned for the food and beverage sector.
Strategic infrastructure development projects are currently underway at both Vilnius and Kaunas Airports – a new departure terminal is being built in Vilnius Airport, while the reconstruction and expansion of the passenger terminal has started and the northern apron is being enlarged in Kaunas Airport.
These projects are projected to finish by 2025, enabling the company to handle a total capacity of 10 million passengers annually. The large-scale growth of Vilnius and Kaunas Airports will also open up more commercial potential for partners and service providers.
Gintarė Norvilaitė-Tautevičė, head of the commercial department at Lithuanian Airports, commented, “The company will be paying a lot of attention to the search for strong and reliable partners, as it will soon be serving twice as many passengers as it does today. We are getting ready now – the first lease tender will specifically focus on the retail convenience category. This sector is very important for airports, as it helps to ensure fast shopping before flights, the number of which is growing every year at our airports.”
Norvilaitė-Tautevičė continued, “In tandem with these efforts, we are actively seeking commercial partners to collaborate with us in shaping the future travel experience. As we implement significant changes within our terminals, it is imperative to establish partnerships that will maximize value for our passengers in the years to come.”
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