Smartseller—the joint venture between Hamburg-based Gebr. Heinemann and Casualfood, the owner-run specialist in more than a dozen food-to-go outlets—has adapted and broadened its hybrid retail for small airports.
Initially launched in Ljubljana Airport, Slovenia in mid-2021, the project combined travel retail shopping with food and beverage (F&B) with the aim of expanding into small- and medium-sized airports.
Three years later, the test concept—which offers management convenience for small-airport landlords—has been reviewed and taken in two directions. A ‘Little’ retail concept has come off the drawing board and there has also been a name change.
At Ljubljana, Little Slovenia has arrived at the airport’s non-Schengen departure lounge. It offers F&B, a duty-free assortment, and local souvenirs. The bar with seating is spacious so that passengers can spend some quality time before boarding, and possibly indulging in some retail therapy while they are there.
Schengen refers to the free-movement area within the European Union that almost all of the bloc’s members are signed up to (and some non-EU states too), except for Cyprus and Ireland. Airports in Europe therefore separate their passengers into Schengen and non-Schengen at some point in the airside zone.
Greenery to the fore
According to a Smartseller statement, the design of Little Slovenia “reflects a modern interpretation of the country.” It has wooden elements and more than a hint of greenery, reflecting the nation’s forests; about 90% of the Kočevje region is covered by woodlands, one of the most wooded areas in Europe.
The combination has created a natural and welcoming space for passengers to stop and dwell in the retail and F&B area. As well as duty-free shopping and dining there are dedicated sections for book and press on smaller footprints of 50–200 square meters (about 540-2,150 square feet).
Smartseller’s sales pitch to small airports is that the concept is modular and can be implemented without structural intervention “into almost any infrastructure at a terminal.” This is an attractive proposition because airports can easily integrate the concept quickly.
Smartseller managing director Karl Niendorf commented: “The space at the gate, in particular, often offers scope for an appealing retail concept. Before boarding, travelers are relaxed and therefore more open to offers that fit into that moment. The Little concept has been created especially to fill this gap.” He added that more airports “are to follow” following the Ljubljana implementation.
According to Urška Binter, the commercial head at Fraport Slovenija, Ljubljana Airport’s operator, the new concept “is already one of the highlights among non-Schengen passengers.” She added that Smartseller was a glimpse of how the future of retail and F&B might play out at small airports. Ljubljana, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, processed 1.27 million passengers in 2023.
From ‘All Yours’ to ‘You Are Here’
Smartseller has also revisited its former ‘All Yours’ branding and changed it to ‘You Are Here’. It is a little confusing as this offer is also a hybrid one just like the ‘Little’ concept. Ljubljana Airport has both.
Niendorf said that ‘You Are Here’ will be the brand under which Smartseller will target regional airports by combining travel retail, F&B, and convenience and be “even more tailored” to the location. The rebranding will be completed by the end of the year.
Travelers can get a feel for this second hybrid concept in Germany, at Albrecht Dürer Airport Nuremberg.
The first section of the store covering 250 square meters (2,700 square feet) was recently opened, with further conversions to follow to create a total area of 1,200 square meters. The regional connection to Nuremberg and the region of Franconia remains paramount, according to Smartseller.
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