ARI celebrated the 25th Anniversary of its business in North America at an exclusive “cocktail dinatoire” event hosted at 1769 Distillery in Montreal on September 15.
The event was attended by many partners and local supporters of the ARI business in the region, including airport partners, local suppliers with long-standing relationships, executives from ARI, senior management and colleagues, notably many of whom have been with the business for more than twenty-five years.
Despite all the various global shocks and challenges that have impacted the business over the past quarter of a century ARI has gone from strength to strength in North America.
Ray Hernan, Chief Executive Officer, ARI, commented, “We are privileged and honored to be at this stage in our journey. The partnerships and relationships that we have built over the past two decades is a striking testament to our colleagues and our teams here in North America.
“Together with our partners and colleagues, we have demonstrated all that is great about ARI and evolved in order to do what we do best – deliver an exceptional experience for each customer who passes through our stores. I have enjoyed reflecting on the past twenty-five years of growth in North America and would like to take this opportunity to thank our teams, partners and brands for their continued support and dedication, without whom none of this would be possible. ARI North America is an integral part of ARI’s heritage.”
The future is certainly bright for ARI in North America, with an extensive refurbishment planned for the Montreal store, a new stand-alone Chanel store just opened in Vancouver earlier this month, and many other exciting opportunities in the pipeline for the future.
“When we look for new opportunities, we need to ensure that they make sense for both us and our partners,” said Jacques Dagenais, Business Relationship Director, ARI, “Our approach is to be agile and innovative. A big focus for us is on our substantial range of local products across each of our locations, to create a unique sense of place for our customers. Quality and excellence are at the heart of all that we do. We may not be the biggest, but consistently strive to be the best.”
Speaking live from the event, Nuno Amaral, Chief Business Development & Operations Officer, ARI, commented, “A lot of the opportunities and growth in the past has been down to the focus, dedication, and commitment to building strong partnerships, and the phenomenal team driving those connections. We are very excited about the plans and ambitions of our team for the future in North America.”
The event was the culmination of a week-long celebration for the team at ARI North America, which included an in-store event at YUL Montréal-Trudeau International Airport earlier in the week, where passengers were treated to the joy of traditional local entertainment including Cirque tight-rope walking, plate-spinning and hula hooping, maple-syrup crepes and cocktails, all with the backdrop of traditional local music.
ARI’s recent appointment of Glen Morgan as General Manager in North America has brought more travel retail expertise to the team. Since joining in mid-June, Morgan has been leading the team through the busy summer season as passenger numbers in that region continue to grow. “It has been an exciting start to my new role here,” said Morgan during the event, “The team have been hugely welcoming and together, we are focused on not only celebrating the achievements of the past but focusing on the opportunities into the future. We have an incredibly committed and high-performing team in place, with big plans to deliver, it’s an exciting time here in North America.”
ARI first entered North America with a travel retail outlet at Mirabel in 1998, later moving to Montreal in 2004, where it is still a leading operator in that location. ARI currently operates travel retail stores in four airports in North America, located at Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax and Winnipeg, and added a fifth, with the new store opening in Vancouver earlier this month.
