Istanbul Airport in Turkey has opened a Cartier boutique, in partnership with the joint venture of Gebr. Heinemann, Unifree Duty Free and ATÜ Duty Free.
Located in Zone 4 of the airport, in the ‘luxury watches and jewelry zone’, the boutique covers 130m2 and is located in the vicinity of Bulgari, Bottega Veneta, Celine, Christian Dior, Fendi, Gucci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Saint Laurent. The joint venture of Gebr. Heinemann, Unifree Duty Free and ATÜ Duty Free operates a total retail area of 53,000m2 at Istanbul Airport and is also responsible for the center management. Contract negotiations with Cartier were initially interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic but finalized in 2021.
The shop features a 12m façade, designed with three-dimensional, illuminated elements. The spacious entrance area showcases highlights from the shop’s watch and jewelry collection, including a full Maison range, as well as leather goods and a selection of perfumes and sunglasses. Cartier’s signature color red accents the light marble floor as well as the walls and furniture.
Jan Richter, purchasing director for fashion, accessories, watches and jewelry (FAWJ) at Gebr. Heinemann, said, “We are proud to be partnering with Cartier at our Istanbul Airport luxury marketplace. The Maison is one of the top three luxury brands in the world. It stands for legendary watches and jewelry that are passed down from generation to generation. The Cartier mono-brand boutique is a perfect addition to our range of exclusive brands in Istanbul and will delight travelers. We thank all parties involved for the excellent cooperation. As part of our strategy for the FAWJ category, we are strengthening our collaboration with the world’s leading luxury brands. Cartier is part of the Richemont Group, one of our key strategic partners for this. The luxury segment has proven to be extremely resilient during the Covid-19 crisis. Because of the intrinsic and lasting value of a precious piece of jewelry, it is attractive to shoppers. At Istanbul Airport, which was open when many other airports were closed, luxury brands performed above average.”
Nicolas Martin, managing director, Turkey and Levant, Cartier, added, “We are pleased to be opening the largest Cartier boutique in travel retail with our valued partner and operator ATÜ Duty Free at Istanbul Airport. At Cartier, we continuously thrive to build a presence in Turkey and we look forward to being a part of all travelers’ journeys in this key international airport.”
Ersan Arcan, CEO of ATÜ Duty Free, said, “As ATÜ Duty Free, we are happy to cooperate with one of the most valuable brands of the world, Cartier. We regard the presence of an important brand such as Cartier, which is one of the first names that come to mind when it comes to elite brands on a global scale, at Istanbul Airport as an essential development for boutique retailing. We continue to expand our portfolio by maintaining our knowledge and experience in the field of luxury, as we are one of the pioneers in travel retail. We aim to offer a privileged customer experience to our passengers by continuing our product and brand collaborations in the boutique retailing field, in addition to our domestic and foreign duty-free stores and our special concept stores.”
Metin Yaldiz, senior sales manager, Near East and Turkey, EMEA, Gebr. Heinemann, said, “We are thrilled to have now completed the boutique and proud to have ATÜ Duty Free and Cartier as strong partners on board for the special shopping experience at Istanbul Airport. The boutique is a LEED-certified store. This certification standard developed by the US Green Building Council stands for ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’.”