In today’s world, there are many business opportunities in airports. The large number of people that pass through daily means there are ever-increasing sales possibilities. There are even more when you consider the sales potential of duty-free shops, which are tax-free retail spaces in airports. But how can you take advantage of this situation? Can all businesses do well in airport spaces? In this article we will thoroughly analyze this and other related issues.
What requirements does AENA have for trading in airports?
AENA is a public Spanish company which manages everything that happens in Spanish airports. Therefore, this is the first step you need to take before you introduce your products. They will ask you for basic real-time information about everything you sell. Their objective, more than anything else, is to accurately monitor your business or sales position so that there is no risk of irregularities.
In most cases, this means using a software connected to the AENA servers that allows you to show all the necessary information as it is produced.
Broadly speaking, there are three requirements put forward by AENA:
- Any transaction that takes place must be transferred to the AENA servers in real time to show what it consisted of (a sale, a return, etc.). It also has to specify the product and the amount.
- Once a month you need to send a report in which you explain each transaction. In reality, this is a double verification, since it requires you to confirm all of the transactions that you already transferred to AENA in real time.
- In each sale you also need to report the customer’s boarding pass. This gives statistical information that will be used within AENA.
As you can see, the requirements are not excessive, and with good management software it’s perfectly doable. The idea behind these rules is only to control possible irregularities.
Depending on what you plan to sell, you may consider the option of putting your shop within an existing shop, or opening up your own. For this, you will need to consult the specifications of each option that AENA has on their website.
What requirements are there for duty free shops?
You must keep in mind that you can’t immediately begin selling your products once you are approved by AENA. If you want to set up a duty free shop, you must fulfill another set of requirements.
The first thing you need to understand is that new shops cannot simply start privately as they wish. At the end of the day, AENA is a public company. For this reason, each shop is granted through a public bidding process.
The AENA website has information available about the rules and conditions of each public bidding session. In general, you will need to use a good system for your business. Your business should be well-structured and have clear growth plans that you can present in order to win the bid.
You will also need to put down a deposit to participate in the bidding process. This is most definitely an investment. You will have to set aside part of your funds and, in addition, invest in a good marketing plan and other projects for the future.
How can you include your products in airports?
There are two main options. One of them is opening your own shop. If you don’t have the capacity to satisfy this demand and everything it requires, the best way to proceed is by getting in touch with someone who does and convince them to sell your product. This is a great way to avoid steep upfront costs.
There are other tips that may help you in this phase of the process. Having a sustainable business plan or a translation team by your side, for example, are both helpful tools. Don’t forget that an airport is, by nature, an international space. Having a communication plan in multiple languages is essential for strengthening your image and presenting your products effectively in a way that will guarantee business success.
Now that you know how airport business opportunities work, you just need to develop an action plan and build a winning team to get where you want to be. At blarlo, we are always ready to help with whatever you need; you just need to get in touch with us.
