Privato Duty Free continues to grow its business in private airports around the United States, opening new warehouses and Fixed Base Operations (FBO), Privato President Marco Arilli tells TMI.
“Privato is focusing on opening more locations, but we are being a little choosier about which ones we open. In 2025 we are looking to open another 10 locations by the end of the year. And we are looking to add more luxury fragrance vendors,” says Arilli.
Privato Duty Free currently has eighteen warehouses throughout the United States, and 112 Fixed Base Operations (FBO) in numerous private airports spread from Florida to New York to California.
In January, Privato successfully opened at Panama City, Florida with Southern Sky Aviation, which has quickly become the company’s third best-selling location, after Westchester and Fort Lauderdale.
“Southern Sky Aviation came to us after they saw our store in Westchester. So we decided to open up in Panama City. And right off the first day, it started like gangbusters. Our sales went immediately to our number three location overnight. Burbank is another really good location.”
Arilli says Privato will continue to add warehouses throughout the country, but the overall number of stores will likely stay around the same number.
“We are going to start parsing some of our areas that aren’t doing as well. So as we open new stores, we are going to take some away, so the net will not be an increase in stores.”
Partnership with Streiffer Duty Free
Last June at the US Open Golf Tournament in North Carolina, Privato Duty Free and Streiffer Duty Free officially announced that Streiffer Duty Free will be distributing the tobacco, wines, champagne, and spirits for Privato Duty Free for its dozens of private airport locations throughout the United States.
The companies sponsored a duty free exhibit at the Moore County executive airport in Pinehurst, North Carolina, during the US Open Golf Tournament, which Arilli says was a complete success.
“Right on the spot they told us to leave our fixtures there, because they want a permanent store, and we signed a contract right there. That location is doing well for us, although it is seasonal. But it has led to more business and now we are focusing on more events like the Super Bowl, Kentucky Derby, World Series, Final Four, Formula One races, NASCAR races, etc.”
Along with the addition of spirits and tobacco from Streiffer Duty Free, Privato has added the high-end cosmetics from Valmont.
As Privato continues to add new locations, Arilli says there are marketing opportunities for brands inside the FBOs.
