The seats are comfortable. The Scotch is neat. The bar is stocked with recognized favorites. I’m in a duty free store.
It’s not a secret what Avolta is trying to do with the new Blinded Tiger speakeasy inside its newly opened Dufry flagship duty free store at New York’s JFK Terminal 8. The world’s largest duty free operator wants to create memories inside its duty free shops, convenience stores, and restaurants, and deliver a seamless experience for the millions of passengers who pass through its Dufry, Hudson, and HMSHost operations, Kate Herzig, Executive Vice President, Duty Free North America and Canada Retail Operations, tells TMI’s Michael Pasternak in a candid, enthusiastic conversation in the “hidden” bar.
With nearly 50,000 square feet of space among its Dufry, Hudson, and HMSHost locations in Terminal 8 at JFK, Avolta is trying to create a unique experience for the passengers, says Herzig.
In partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, American Airlines, and ASUR, Avolta’s Dufry team completely reimagined the duty free environment in the terminal. New retail destinations include W. 12th St. Market, Beauty on 5th, The Park @ T8, BKLYN Shopping, and an expanded collection of luxury boutiques featuring Longchamp, Marc Jacobs, Lacoste, BOSS, TAG Heuer, Breitling, Montblanc, premium designer sunglasses through Avolta’s Suncatcher concept plus Pre-Loved Luxury offering upcycled high-end leather goods and Rolex watches. The newly launched program features the first U.S. airport location of Eataly and a new concept from Momofuku, Peach Palace by Momofuku.
“We want to create a unique journey for the passenger. Traveling today is not the same as it used to be — times have changed, ecosystems have changed, and traveler expectations have changed. Airports are more than transit spaces, they are experience platforms. Passengers now expect an experience at the airport. We’ve responded by offering a single journey, a seamless experience that’s customer-centric across all touch points and connected through digital,” says Herzig.
The Breitling boutique is the first thing passengers see when they go through security. Next to the boutiques is The Connoisseur Collection, and Beauty on 5th. The Connoisseur Collection introduces a curated selection of fine spirits and tobacco, and embedded within is the terminal’s new hidden speakeasy, Blinded Tiger. Blinded Tiger is a unique speakeasy-style cocktail lounge, and Avolta’s first in the United States. Similar to its Hungry Club in Spanish airports that combines an exclusive F&B offering with an unprecedented dining experience, Blinded Tiger at JFK offers something special for the passengers who enter the closed doors of the speakeasy.
“This is not an ordinary airport bar experience. Blinded Tiger offers a curated experience that allows us an opportunity to surprise and delight travelers. That could translate to sampling an exclusive spirit before buying, receiving a chocolate to pair with your cocktail, or an activation with a luxury brand,” says Herzig.
One unique offering at Blinded Tiger is a specially chosen Jefferson’s Bourbon barrel available in Terminal 8 at Eataly, along with another barrel at Peach Palace by Momofuku. Visitors to Blinded Tiger will be able to taste both of these bourbons.
Coming soon to the terminal is another mixture of retail and food and beverage with the opening of Bubbles on 5th, which weaves together fragrances with Champagne and wine.
Bubbles on 5th will offer a curated selection of high-end beauty brands featuring Creed, Byredo, Penhaligon’s, and Dyptique. There is no overlap between what customers will find in the main duty free beauty store and what will be offered in Bubbles on 5th, adding an allure of exclusivity to the concept.
“Bubbles on 5th will offer an elevated, unique perfume experience. You are offered a very special product, while at the same time you can enjoy Champagne as well as wine. It’s a place where travelers can relax and enjoy an experience they can’t do in any other North American airport,” she says.
Experience is a word that comes up again and again when Herzig describes the new stores at JFK Terminal 8, and it is the key to how Avolta operates its stores and restaurants.
The consumer response to these unique, curated experiences has been overwhelmingly positive, says Herzig.
“The reaction from travelers has been amazing. They love the surprise element, the personalized, ‘one size fits one’ feel, and the emotional aspect. People don’t come to the airport specifically to shop. They still come to fly. So through the moments they spend with us, they can relax, explore, and then feel inspired to make a purchase.”
Avolta’s loyalty program Club Avolta is another essential tool designed to make the passenger’s experience at the airport as seamless as possible. Since launching Club Avolta a year and a half ago, the loyalty program has garnered more than 16 million members.
“Terminal 8 is a wonderful example of how Club Avolta intersects with experiential retail. We offer Club Avolta members special offers, from discounts to member pricing, partnerships with brands and airlines, access to exclusive products and events, and more. It is an enormous value and something that makes a traveler’s journey more exciting. That’s when they dwell and then they discover. Once that happens, there is a conversion,” says Herzig.
Club Avolta also partnered with New York’s Great Jones Distillery to offer a special Club Avolta bottle at JFK Terminal 8.
“Our brand partners see immense value in being visible to our members, so there is almost limitless opportunity to create exclusive products and experiences — which, in turn, are of value to our members,” says Herzig. “It’s a win for all.”
The digital ecosystem, including Club Avolta, helps the passengers have the experience they are looking for at the airport.
“The more we understand our customers through digital interaction, the more we can refine our product offerings and tailor the experience to each traveler — which adds deeper personalization to the travel journey,” says Herzig.
Then there are smart stores that help Avolta understand what its customers are looking for.
“Smart stores are about designing stores around the traveler,” says Herzig. “By using data, digital tools, and insights from our teams on the ground, we can better understand how customers move through the store, what they are looking for, and where we can make the journey easier. This helps us adapt each store to its airport, local culture, passenger profile, and brand mix. It gives us a framework to create concepts that are more relevant, more flexible, and more experiential.”
The new stores and restaurants at JFK Terminal 8 are Avolta’s most recent example of how retail and food and beverage brands working together help create this seamless airport experience, says Herzig.
“Avolta’s biggest advantage in North America is the power of one integrated offer with Dufry, Hudson, and HMSHost working to deliver something no one else can, and JFK Terminal 8 is a proof point. It shows what the next generation of airport retail can be. Whether you are a traveler looking for an exceptional experience or an airport seeking a proven operator revolutionizing the travel experience, we are uniquely positioned to deliver. We will be there for you, and we will make sure that the journey, from the moment a traveler arrives to the airport until they are on the plane — and even beyond — this journey will be memorable,” concludes Herzig.
