Issue 47 | July 2023
A Travel Experience Revolution in Helsinki
Mid March we learned about another contract win for HMSHost International, on this occassion in Helsinki airport: a four-outlet contract in a six-year term that will serve to introduce four new brands by early 2024. The new outlets are a future-proofed F&B proposition from HMSHost in terms of local and global flavours, design and sustainability. The new concepts to be introduced are:
- Italian Kitchen Terracotta – which offers Neapolitan and other pizza types, paninis, and panzerotti from breakfast to dinner, and houses an eye-catching pizza oven.
- Bubbles, HMSHost’s wine and seafood bar brand, features airfield views and responds to a growing trend for premium wines and fresh and healthy seafood dishes.
- Nordic Kitchen Deli, Bar & Bistro offers seasonality, locality and traditional flavors in the craft beer range and other artisanal products on the menu.
- Espresso House – which brings the flavor of the popular coffee chain to the airport.
)
All the four new outlets are equipped with a to-go section and seating areas giving views over the airfield.
The Travel Experience Revolution: Retail and F&B combined
Helsinki is not new territory to Autogrill and HMSHost, as these 4 additions to the portfolio will extend the footprint at the airport to 18 outlets. And it is also a known market for Dufry, where the company has operated the stores since 2013 when it won the concession. The news of the expanded HMSHost footprint comes together with the recently updated retail space in Helsinki (see Dufry World issue 46), which included the development of Europe´s first Mind.Body.Soul. store-in-store concept.
This combination of state-of-the-art shops and one of the most ambitious propositions in Food & Beverage, establishes a very solid base upon which the new company that emerges from the business combination with Autogrill can demonstrate what we are capable of, and how our vision of transforming and revolutionizing the travel experience can be realized. All eyes are on us!
Helsinki Airport is the busiest in Finland and a major European transfer hub. In 2022, Helsinki Airport had a total of 12.9 million passengers, 87% of which were international passengers. Helsinki is also a fundamental European gateway to Asia – it´s unique geographical location makes Helsinki the shortest route between Europe and Asia – and with the expected recovery of Asian travelers, it is expected to recover volumes lost due the pandemic.
