NEWS ROUND-UP GIAA files new appeal notice in DFS case


The Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport Authority (GIAA) has lodged a notice of appeal with the Guam Supreme Court after the Guam Superior Court upheld an earlier arbitration award to DFS Group. A statement issued by GIAA at the end of


January confirming the appeal is the latest in a long-running legal dispute between the


parties linked variously to the award of a 10- year concession to Lotte Guam in 2013. This particular appeal centres on GIAA’s


claims that DFS owes approximately $2.1m in back rent and damages for a section of the retail space that the retailer occupied before Lotte Duty Free took the concession over in 2013. GIAA states it drew down the amount


on a letter of credit it says DFS provided as a security bond for all its leases under the airport concession when the retailer refused to pay holdover rent. DFS Guam L.P. contested and won the


Dutch distributor unveils new Heligoland DF concept


Netherlands-based distributor, Salud Duty Free, says its new duty free shop concept focuses on ‘adding value’ and creating an experience for its customers, as it insists that it will stock products ‘without contract or paid shelf space’. The store which will open on the German


island of Heligoland (aka Helgoland) in the North Sea; is considered to be a small tourist haven with its tax-exempt status. If the new store is successful, Salud Duty


Free says it would like to open other stores elsewhere in Europe. “The aim is to open up more duty free


stores that [offer] additional value, without contract or paid shelf space; we just sell products that we think it’s worth visiting our shop for,” Maurice van Vliet, Salud Duty Free’s Managing Director tells TRBusiness. “It doesn’t make sense to offer products


which customers can buy in the domestic market too, even though our prices would be a bit more competitive.” The company will open its first 250sq m DF store in Heligoland in May this year.


arbitration case in 2016, with the Guam Superior Court ruling in the retailer’s favour for a breach of its concession agreement and ordered GIAA to return $1.8m in ‘seized’ funds. This was addressed in the context of an apparent ‘retaliation’ when DFS contested what it says was the ‘improper’ award of the airport concession to Lotte. GIAA was also ordered to pay interest on DFS’ money at a 6% per annum at the


time, with the total including penalties amounting to $2.5m. According to various local media outlets,


including Pacific Daily News and The Guam Daily Post, DFS is reported to have issued a statement prior to the airport filing its notice of appeal in which it claims the arbitration amount now totals more than $2.9m including interest.


Hong Kong issues new retail tenders


Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is inviting interested parties to tender for two separate retail concessions occupying approximately 252sq m of space. A thematic store concession (19-002)


features three shops at HKIA, two of which are located at the Midfield Concourse (restricted area), Level 6 spanning 85sq m and 32sq m, and one 93sq m store at the West Hall (restricted area), Level 6. The tender closes on Thursday 7 March at


14:30pm (local time). Meanwhile, a 42sq m gifts and souvenirs


unit located at the Midfield Concourse (restricted area), Level 6 is also available. Bids for this concession close on Thursday


14 March at 14:30pm (local time). Operator Airport Authority of Hong Kong


(AAHK) says both concessions represent an ‘extraordinary business opportunity in a premier location’ that served 74.7m


passengers in 2018. Most recently, the airport awarded


contracts to 10 new brands in December following a significant luxury tender. Those wishing to obtain tender


documents for one or both of the above concessions should make a cashiers order of HK$500/US$64 (non-refundable) payable to the ‘Airport Authority’.


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