Marco Arilli’s Privato Duty Free and Streiffer Duty Free partnered to sponsor a duty free exhibit at the Moore County executive airport in Pinehurst, North Carolina, during the US Open Golf Tournament, which took place June 13-16, 2024.
Arilli tells TMI that the US Open is the beginning of a partnership between the two companies in which 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 US Open kicked off the collaboration between the two companies. More than 2000 flights came in and out of the North Carolina airport for the US Open, transporting pro players and their families, staff, flight crews, corporate executives, and celebrities.
“There is only one airport that they can fly into for the US Open. All players, all the big names were there, including celebrities. It was 2000 planes and five to six days of all these people in one location who walked through one door and passed our Sazerac bar, then our store, and then another bar that featured the other vendors,” Arilli explains.
“The exhibit included booths and presentations featuring the brands both Privato Duty Free and Streiffer Duty Free offer in various duty free channels. These airport passengers that came through our exhibit were introduced to many of the major brands we carry. We also featured some tastings,” says Streiffer Duty Free’s John Millett.
“The US Open is the ultimate shop window. This is a test to show the people who fly on these private flights that in the future we will have this option for them when they fly internationally. We featured 18-20 of our brands at the US Open,” Millett added.
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Featured brands highlighted
Arilli tells TMI that the prestigious brands that participated in the duty free exhibit at the US Open are a great example of the offer that Privato Duty Free and Streiffer Duty Free will have available.
These brands included: Fossil Group with Michele and Zodiak watches; Swarovski; Cohiba and Partagas cigars from Otis McAllister. Tastings were available for Glenmorangie 12 YO, Moet Rose Imperial, and Whispering Angel; Lagavulin 16 YO, Don Julio 1942, and Johnnie Walker Blue Label from Diageo; the Last Drop Bourbon, Irish whiskey and scotch, Blanton’s, Weller 12 YO and Full Proof, Buffalo Trace, and Clix Vodka from Sazerac; Cairlinn Bay Irish Whiskey; and Tito’s vodka, 818 Tequila, and Disaronno
“Dobel Tequila from Proximo with the drink ‘The Paloma’ was a big hit as we served more than 900 of them during the event,” says Arilli.
Arilli, who has more than 30 years of duty free and travel retail experience with Starboard, DFS, and DFASS (now 3Sixty Duty Free), founded Bulldog Duty Free in 2016. Privato Duty Free is the name of the duty free stores that Bulldog operates.
Streiffer Duty Free has been operating since 1896, servicing the Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of the United States with duty free merchandise and bonded warehousing.
“My family specializes in duty free liquor, champagne, wine, and tobacco. This new partnership with Marco started with our friendship. We are good friends,” says Millett.
September rollout
Arilli says the US Open is the beginning of the strategic partnership before they start rolling out the business in September.
“We had two goals with the US Open sponsorship. The first goal was to let all the people traveling through the airport know that we are going to have duty free, and where the locations are,” says Arilli.
Privato Duty Free currently has twelve warehouses throughout the United States, and 112 Fixed Base Operations (FBO) in numerous private airports spread from Florida to New York to California.
The first location was at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
“The owners really liked my idea and they let me test pilot the concept there. We have a display in the warehouse there. But it’s not like a commercial airport where you see the whole assortment. For example, I carry 140 styles of Ray-Ban sunglasses, but I only have five of the best styles on display. But the customer looks at the inventory on the iPad or downloads the app and can see all the styles that are available,” says Arilli.
“The second goal of the US Open exhibit is to get more downloads for the app,” he says.
Privato app expands DF offer
The app plays a crucial role in Privato Duty Free’s business, he explains.
“The app works on timers. If you’re at home and you’re going to drive to Fort Lauderdale you can order from the app and it will be ready for you, but it needs a two hour window. From two hours to a 48 hour window the app will show you the stock just in that local warehouse. If you order two days or more before your flight, it will show you stock from Fort Lauderdale to New York. And then if you buy something, I ship it to the location where you’re asking for it to be delivered. More than 48 hours before the flight I show you everything in the U.S. If I have the product anywhere, you can buy it and then we ship it to that location,” says Arilli.
The Privato stores will feature signs that show that liquor, wine, champagne, and tobacco are now available and powered by Streiffer Duty Free.
“In September we’re going to be opening the spirits and tobacco in my stores. John Millett and Streiffer Duty Free will be opening bonded warehouses off site close by to my airports. They will deliver duty free directly onto the plane on a bonded carrier with all the proper customs documentation.”
The delivery of bonded liquor and tobacco will first start at a select few airports, before expanding to the entire Privato network.
60 locations to start
“We’ll have it in Westchester and Fort Lauderdale; we’re going to pick five key warehouses that are servicing around 60 locations. We will start there and then roll it out to all the warehouses eventually,” says Arilli.
The addition of duty free wines, champagne, spirits, and tobacco will be crucial to enhancing the assortment that Privato offers, says Arilli.
“The current best sellers are accessories, watches, jewelry. We are opening up the fragrance companies direct. Lego is a big best seller.”
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Private airports flourishing
Arilli says the flying on private planes from private airports is a burgeoning business.
“And it’s not all ultra-rich anymore. The fastest growing part of private jets now is the charter business. These are people who would typically fly business class or first class.”
Arilli and Millett tell TMI that the US Open gave Privato and Streiffer the ideal exposure to the right people who fly on private planes.
“My goal is to get into 240 more locations, which would be another 12 to 18 warehouses, bringing me to a total of about 30 warehouses,” says Arilli.
“This new partnership is a great opportunity to serve as a new channel for our family. We’ve been selling to cargo ships, cruise ships, embassies, and diplomats for 40 years. So this will be a new channel for us and will allow us as distributors to help promote the brands that we distribute,” says Millett.
