Fortnum & Mason has long been established as a high quality retailer with a tradition of serving well-heeled customers including members of the Royal family.
Last year, in a bid to expand on its history, Fortnum & Mason opened its first new store in over 300 years at St Pancras Station. Now it is investing in another transport hub opening, this time within the new Terminal 5 building at Heathrow airport.
The new 1,000 sq ft store will place a heavy emphasis upon food item gifting, with its famous hampers placed in prime position as a means of attracting tourists flying homey after a London holiday. In addition, a range of its most popular teas and preserves will be stocked in order to give international consumers a “taste of England”.
Chief executive Ewan Venters believes the new store opening will help to showcase the brand on an international scale.
He says; “Heathrow is the UK’s hub airport and the first impression of the country for more than 35 million passengers a year.
“At Fortnum’s we have three centuries experience of serving customers travelling the globe, so it’s fitting we should now serve passengers flying to some of the world’s most glamorous locations.”
The store will open in October of this year and will join a raft of other quality retailers taking up space within Terminal 5. Two months later, in December, Fortnum and Mason will also open an adjoining bar unit which will serve drinks and fresh food such as smoked salmon and caviar.
Like many retailers, Fortnum and Mason is beginning to cotton on to the idea that transport hubs provide many opportunities that traditional retail destinations do not. By opening in Heathrow, the brand will gain access to a captive yet ever-changing consumer base, allowing for a higher footfall and longer dwelling time.
The opening of the Terminal 5 store follows the retailer’s decision to take up space within the refurbished St Pancras International Station in November of last year. This was the first store opening in more than 300 years and indicated a willingness to adapt to new consumer trends by the classic British brand.
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