Auckland Airport is shifting focus on beauty and fragrance this year as it enters the next phase of its international terminal upgrades.
This comes more than a year after signing on Lagardère as its new duty-free partner, and comes after Victoria’s Secret revived its lease at the airport late last year.
Auckland Airport’s chief commercial officer, Mark Thomson, said the improvements will have beauty and fragrance at the forefront.
“Our customers have told us they want more engaging airport experiences and a wider mix of brands,” Thomson said. “We're delivering with a major upgrade to duty free and retail across international departures and arrivals. This is a deliberate move to strengthen our retail mix, provide an enhanced customer proposition, and modernise the space.
“The transformation project remains on track, with staged works progressing to plan since January. We are excited to be delivering this project, and we thank travellers for their patience while we complete these works.”
The redevelopment will introduce an expanded beauty precinct, featuring an expanded Chanel boutique experience, alongside other luxury brands such as Prada Beauty, Miu Miu, Maison Francis Kurkdjian and Guerlain L'Art et la Matière. The offer will also introduce globally trending beauty brands including Laneige, Beauty of Joseon and Medicube.
“Beauty and fragrance are currently some of the most dynamic categories in travel retail globally, and Auckland Airport is no exception,” Thomson said.
“We’re seeing strong demand for skincare and everyday premium beauty as well as premium and niche fragrances, which is why we are responding with a more curated range that caters to different traveller tastes, from sought-after luxury and hard-to-find brands, through to emerging labels and the trusted products customers know and love.”
Korean beauty is also in the mix, with a curated selection of more than ten K-beauty brands joining the line-up for the first time.
Thomson said Korean skincare has also been in demand, which he said is a major growth area in beauty right now. New brands here include Anua, Isntree and Biodance.
Lagardère chief commercial officer Laura Perron said this will upgrade the duty free experience at Auckland Airport.
“We’re seeing a strong demand for premium products, innovative skincare, distinctive brands and more engaging retail environments. Our focus is on responding with a sharper, more considered offer,” Perron said.
The Auckland Airport revamp will also include new standalone stores for two premium brands, skincare brand Aesop and French fragrance brand Le Labo. Thomson said the Airport will also upgrade its food and beverage offering, with new dining spaces and a mix of local and international brands opening progressively throughout the redevelopment.
In the fashion retail space, Auckland Airport houses the likes of Saben, Icebreaker, Adidas, MaxMara and Rip Curl.
“Customers are starting to get a taste of what’s to come, and we’re working closely with Lagardère to keep a strong retail offer in place throughout the remainder of construction,” Thomson said.
The retail refurbishment is expected to be completed in December 2026. The overall footprint for duty free will remain the same.