AMERICAS: HUDSON GROUP
New business ‘key’ to market share growth for Dufry-owned Hudson Group
Hudson Group has declared its overall 2017 performance as ‘very pleasing’ and has plenty to look forward to following its listing on the New York Stock Exchange earlier this year. Andrew Pentol speaks to Joseph DiDomizio, President and CEO of Hudson Group.
N
ew business is critical for any DF&TR operator trying to expand their
footprint and market share and Dufry-owned Hudson Group is no exception. Having established itself as a
best-in-class operator with an extensive portfolio of national and local brands, the retailer announced 12 new RFP packages and contract extensions in the first half of 2018. Contracts have been secured
at the likes of New Burlington, La Guardia and Phoenix (A joint venture comprising Hudson Group, Cambios y Servicios Inc. and the Levitt Group LLC.) International Airports, and there have also been extensions at key airport locations such as Pittsburgh, Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall and Rochester. Joseph DiDomizio, President
and CEO of Hudson Group tells TRBusiness: “These wins are great examples of Hudson Group’s ability to develop local concepts that enhance the customer experience, create value and drive revenues and productivity in partnership with airport management teams.”
F&B expansion The company, whose stocks began trading on The New York Stock Exchange priced at $19 per share on 2 February 2018, was ‘very pleased’ with overall performance in 2017 and the first half of 2018. This was in line with expectations and its long-term growth framework. “For Hudson Group, organic
growth is the key metric we use to measure our success,” explains DiDomizio. “For both 2017 and the first half of 2018, organic sales grew +8.8%. While the healthy dynamics of the air travel industry and passenger traffic are the foundation of our growth, we also look to maximise penetration and
OCTOBER 2018
drive sales through a number of productivity initiatives.”
Anchored by the Hudson and Hudson New stores, its portfolio of concepts, brands and products resonate with the travelling public, making it a valuable partner for landlords and vendors, according to the company. DiDomizio says: “Our deep
understanding of the complexities of travel concessions and the relationships we have with these key constituents set us up for continued success moving forward. “Today, Hudson Group operates
over 1,000 stores in top travel hubs in North America. While it may appear to frequent travellers that we are in every airport, we still have considerable white space to grow.” As a retailer, Hudson is constantly
looking for ways to meet the needs, demands and expectations for customers when they travel. To support this ongoing commitment, Hudson is focusing on a number of key initiatives. DiDomizio explains: “These
include expanding our food and beverage and grab-and-go offerings (our fastest growing category) in Hudson stores, creating and rolling out new concepts such as Ink and Tech on the Go to serve evolving customer
demand and leveraging digital technology and data to enhance the customer experience.”
Beyond airports When looking at net new business growth, there are two key components the company considers. “One is conversions and the
reformatting of our Hudson News stores to Hudson stores, which have improved merchandising and layout. The other, is new business wins which are critical to growing our market share.” Additionally, Hudson will continue
evaluating opportunities to expand its footprint beyond airports into other travel channels, “where we can utilise our core competencies to reach attractive customer demographics
“These wins are great examples of Hudson Group’s ability to develop local concepts that enhance the customer experience, create value and drive revenues and productivity in partnership with airport management teams.”
Joseph DiDomizio, President and CEO of Hudson Group
TRBUSINESS 101
Above: Hudson Group operates over 1,000 stores in top travel hubs in North America.
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