EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hudson, a Dufry company and travel experience leader with more than 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs, landmarks and tourist destinations across North America, today revealed its plans for Evolve by Hudson (Evolve), a new shop-in-shop store that will blend a specialty brand experience with the accessibility of travel essentials to create an immersive, customer-centric shopping destination.
By reimagining the convenience and seamless experience of one-stop shopping that is often associated with Hudson stores, while incorporating complementary brands from both Hudson’s and Dufry’s nationally and globally-recognized portfolios, Evolve represents the evolution of traditional travel retail, moving towards larger integrated store concepts.
“The strategy we’ve executed over the years has positioned the Hudson brand as an iconic and trusted anchor of the airport experience for travelers and landlords alike. Now, as we’re witnessing the dynamic transformation of the retail space, we’re taking the opportunity to further leverage what makes it successful: convenience and brand recognition,” said Brian Quinn, EVP and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Hudson. “Our new Evolve store will transform larger retail footprints, with the existing Hudson convenience model in mind, to curate a multi-brand concept that will allow Hudson to continuously innovate for the modern travel retail environment now and into the future.”
The first Evolve store is set to land at Nashville International Airport (BNA) later this summer, followed by seven additional locations including Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL) and Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS).
Transforming The In-Store Experience Through Reimagined Store Design & Layout
Each Evolve store will be designed with a wide-open storefront, a footprint of at least 2,000-square-feet, and eye-catching digital signage on the store exterior, providing a unique glimpse into the brand offerings right from the concourse.
Once inside the expansive store, a circular traffic flow will seamlessly guide travelers around the centrally-located floor displays and out towards the specialty shop-in-shop walls. Stopping at any of the shop-in-shops along the way, travelers will delight to see that the distinguishable identity, style, and design of the brands that they know and love have been authentically recreated within Evolve.
Further amplifying a convenient and effortless shopping experience inside, a variety of different checkout options will be available to meet the unique shopping preferences of travelers. In addition to a traditional checkout experience, each Evolve store will feature multiple state-of-the-art self-checkout kiosks as well as Hudson’s newly-developed mobile point of sale (POS) capabilities, which will enable Hudson team members to complete transactions from anywhere on the sales floor and spend more time assisting travelers at the brand shop-in-shops.
Going Places, Together: Celebrating The Power Of Brand Partnerships
Building on the success of Hudson’s first shop-in-shop partnership with Sunglass Hut, as well as its ability to create blended store concepts such as Ink by Hudson and Dunkin’, Evolve represents Hudson’s latest venture into developing integrated brand experiences.
Now, by expanding the number of brands signed on as strategic shop-in-shop partners, Hudson continues to redefine the idea of one-stop shopping, creating unparalleled accessibility for travelers and providing new avenues for retail partnerships to incrementally grow their brand presence and footprint in flexible, non-traditional concepts.
"We are thrilled to partner with Hudson, especially given the pent-up demand for travel that will be unleashed in the coming months. The Art of Shaving prides itself in having a comprehensive, luxurious, and barber-endorsed lineup of skincare products that are made from fine botanical ingredients. Personal health and hygiene are more important now than ever and we know grooming plays a critical role in this self-care," said Falguni Desai, CEO and Managing Director, The Art of Shaving.
At The Intersection of Local & Global: Products For Every Traveler On The Go
Evolve will feature a selection of nationally-recognized and up-and-coming local brands highlighted in seven carefully-curated product categories. Designed to inject moments of discovery throughout the entire shopping experience, no two Evolve stores will be the same – from the store layout to the product offering. The selection and number of brands represented in each store will be specifically tailored to the unique airport destination, with the flexibility to quickly interchange brands based upon demand, seasonality, or trend changes.
To further ensure elevated personalized service is at the center of each traveler’s shopping experience, the shop-in-shops will be staffed by knowledgeable Hudson team members serving as brand ambassadors, offering product demonstrations and backed with deep product expertise and training.
Sunglasses:
- Luxury eyewear from Sunglass Hut, including styles from Oakley and Ray-Ban
Electronics & Entertainment:
- Best-in-class electronics and audio from Brookstone, including Apple, Bang & Olufsen, Beats, Belkin, Bose, Sony, Samsung, Wicked, and more
- Iconic toys from LEGO® and a curated collection of STEM products for children of all ages
Personal Care & Wellness:
- Innovative health and wellness devices from HoMedics, Hyperice, and more
- Premium beauty and skincare products from Burt’s Bees and The Art Of Shaving
- World-renowned cosmetics from brands CoverGirl, L’Oréal, and Sally Hansen
Luggage & Writing Instruments
- Durable and stylish travel bags from Briggs & Riley, Herschel Supply Co., and TUMI
- Fine writing instruments and journaling accessories from Caran d’Ache and LAMY
Accessories & Apparel
- Bold and imaginative sock styles from Happy Socks and STANCE
- High-quality leather gifts from ROYCE New York
- Simplistically-designed underwear and apparel from Bread & Boxers
Local Goods & Souvenirs
- Localized merchandise embodying the spirit and vibrancy of a location, including products from local artists, suppliers, and entrepreneurs as well as fan-favorite sports teams
Travel Essentials & Snacks
- Classic travel essentials customary to any Hudson travel convenience store, as well as newly-expanded confection offerings and Hudson’s proprietary brand line, “Traveler’s Best”
About Hudson
Hudson, a Dufry Company, is a travel experience company turning the world of travel into a world of opportunity by being the Traveler’s Best Friend in more than 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs, landmarks, and tourist locations. Our team members care for travelers as friends at our travel convenience, specialty retail, duty free and food and beverage destinations. At the intersection of travel and retail, we partner with landlords and vendors, and take innovative, commercial approaches to deliver exceptional value. To learn more about how we can make your location a travel destination, please visit us at hudsongroup.com or follow our journey on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.