Lambert-St. Louis International (STL) has awarded HG-St. Louis JV a
10-year contract to operate all of the airport’s retail concessions.
HG-St. Louis JV is a joint venture comprised of Hudson Group, St. Louis,
Mo.-based Phase Marketing, Inc., OHM Concession Group of St. Ann, Mo.,
and ACDBE operator Newburns Management Group.
Upon contract approval by the City of St. Louis, the joint venture will
deliver 14 new stores, including three distinct newsstand brands in
Hudson, Ebony News and CNN Newsstand-St. Louis.
The new retail stores coming to STL are:
Hudson – the company’s latest generation newsstand combines the best
offerings of a traditional Hudson News store and enhances them with a
fresh look. The store features a reorganized, refined layout partnered
with a product mix that matches the latest trends in traveler demands
with an accent on technology, healthy snacks and highly efficient
‘shopability’
Ebony News – a newsstand branded with the leading publication catering
to African-Americans, setting the standards in covering news of interest
to the black community.
CNN Newsstand-St. Louis – a HG-St. Louis JV exclusive branded with the
most trusted name in international news, the store will carry an array
of travelers’ necessities and convenience items in a setting that
simulates an actual television newsroom complete with live news feeds.
Discover St. Louis – a boutique featuring souvenirs and mementos from
all the leading cultural institutions in the city, including attractions
such as the Jefferson National Parks (including the Gateway Arch),
Peabody Opera, St. Louis Art Museum, as well as the entertainment
attractions the St. Louis Zoo, St Louis Blues and Washington University
of St. Louis.
Eddie Bauer – Offering a full range of styles for both men and women
such as classic outerwear, legendary down and casual denim, khakis,
other apparel and accessories and footwear.
Spectacles – showcasing a line of well-known classical, fashion and
sport sunglasses from premium brands such as Oakley, Versace, Prada,
Bulgari, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Ray Ban, Burberry, Ralph
Lauren and more.
Bliss – a store stocked with a variety of personal grooming and spa
items and staffed with experts on hand to help travelers connect with
the proper products that will assist them in looking their best while
relieving them of the stress of travel.
Kids Works – the ideal store for families traveling through the airport,
or for adults looking for the ideal gift for kids. Organized to
encourage youngsters to try before they buy, the store carries quality,
brand name items sorted by age groups, educational toys, crafts, travel
games, plush dolls, children’s books and licensed apparel.
Also of note, one of the Hudson newsstands will feature a section
devoted entirely to delectable confectionary from Natalie’s Candy Jar, a
candy concept with extensive catering to airport customers.
Another Hudson newsstand will also have a Natalie’s Candy Jar section
plus a separate section called St. Louis Sports. Presented in a ballpark
setting, this section will feature a line of licensed merchandise from
college and professional St. Louis sports teams as well as mementos of
famous St. Louis sports figures from Yogi Berra to Jerome Bettis to Sam
Bradford.
A third Hudson store will offer a broad range of U.S. Post Office products and services.
“Our expert team of designers, merchandisers, marketers, concessions
operators and developers canvassed the airport and the City to produce
this proposal for innovative concessions at STL,” says Joe DiDomizio,
president and CEO of Hudson Group. “We are proud to say that we have
developed for the airport a concessions program that will exceed the
core convenience needs of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport’s
employees and travelers. Our 14 stores will offer a wide selection of
fun, compelling and up-to-date retail brands and concepts — local,
regional, national and international names that will appeal both to
residents and visitors to St. Louis, as called for in the solicitation.”
All the shops will be staffed by associates trained by brand personnel
of Eddie Bauer, Bliss and Natalie’s Candy Jar as well as proprietary
brands. This will ensure that every associate is well-versed in all
aspects of the products, merchandising and marketing. Training goes on
throughout the year, with rewards to associates demonstrating the
highest levels of sales and customer satisfaction.
