Cartier’s new boutique at Istanbul Airport.
The most important Cartier boutique to grace the worldwide journey retail channel has opened at Istanbul Airport simply as tourism is rebounding throughout Europe—and as Turkey woos Russians to trip there. The French model’s gorgeous house, all 1,400 sq. ft of it, additionally has a 40-foot gold facade on an outward-facing nook place, making it seen from a distance.
Cartier has partnered with the three way partnership of Gebr. Heinemann, Unifree Responsibility Free and ATÜ Responsibility Free, to open the boutique, which sits within the airport’s luxurious watches and jewellery zone. It’s flanked by Omega on one aspect and native jeweler Atasay, on the opposite.
The arrival of a Cartier retailer of this dimension is kind of a coup for Istanbul Airport. The Turkish hub already has a swathe of top-end branded boutiques together with Bottega Veneta, Bulgari Celine, Christian Dior, Fendi, Gucci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Saint Laurent in an space dubbed ‘luxurious hill’.
Cartier provides additional cachet. ATÜ Responsibility Free CEO Ersan Arcan commented: “We regard the presence of Cartier at Istanbul Airport—one of many first names that involves thoughts amongst elite international manufacturers—as a necessary improvement for (our) boutique retailing.”
Jan Richter, Heinemann’s director of buying for vogue, equipment watches and jewellery, added: “Cartier is without doubt one of the high three luxurious manufacturers on this planet. It stands for legendary watches and jewellery which might be handed down from era to era.” Iconic items embody its Tank and Santos watches; the Trinity Ring created by Louis Cartier in 1924 and the Juste Un Clou bracelet revealed in 1971 in New York. An ‘Icon Bar’ within the middle of the brand new retailer showcases a few of the most well-known merchandise.
Cartier’s traditional Juste Un Clou bracelets and ring.
For at this time’s luxurious customers on the airport, the product combine additionally contains new and up to date strains equivalent to Conflict De Cartier and fashionable interpretations of classics like Santos, in an effort to appeal to a youthful demographic. The doorway space highlights items from the present assortment, in addition to leather-based items, perfumes and sun shades.
Turkey invitations Russians in
So why select Istanbul for its greatest airport retailer, and why now? The unit was, in truth, deliberate some time in the past however postponed due to the pandemic. Contract negotiations with Cartier had been finally finalized in 2021. The model has been actively constructing its presence in Turkey in keeping with Cartier’s Turkey & Levant managing director Nicolas Martin, whereas the airport boutique ensures visibility effectively past the area.
Fortuitously, from a gross sales perspective, Cartier can even profit from Turkey’s resolution to disregard NATO sanctions ensuing from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, by encouraging Russians to journey to Turkey direct. Turkish Airways added greater than 300 flights to Russia earlier than the summer season according to the i newspaper.
Grand entrance: A visually interesting, fashionable retailer from Cartier.
Vacationers will possible be wealthy, and keen duty-free customers. Nevertheless, given how remarkably stable the Russian financial system has been for the reason that conflict in opposition to Ukraine broke out in February, regardless of sanctions—and with the ruble hovering once more in opposition to most currencies together with the Turkish lira—center class Russians may be visiting the Cartier boutique at Istanbul Airport.
It’s ironic that Cartier may benefit on this approach. The model’s proprietor, Switzerland-based luxurious conglomerate Richemont—chaired by South African billionaire Johann Rupert—together with Gucci proprietor Kering, pulled out of the Accountable Jewelry Council in March due to its persevering with ties to Russia on the time.
In Richemont’s fiscal 12 months 21/22 ending March, the corporate’s resolution to droop industrial actions in Russia—which accounts for much less that 2% of group gross sales—led to a unfavourable affect of €168 million ($169 million, at this time) on the corporate’s working outcome.
Over FY21/22, Richemont’s jewellery homes—Buccellati, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels— delivered what the group known as “a step-change in efficiency” with mixed gross sales exceeding €11 billion. Each Cartier’s and Van Cleef & Arpels’ performances had been described as “excellent”, serving to to extend their market management.
Again at Istanbul Airport, even with out high-spending Russians, the hub was constantly attracting worldwide passengers and rising up the airport rankings through the pandemic. Key nationals got here from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
As a connecting gateway for Turkish Airways, which saved a lot of its route community open by the Covid-19 disaster, Istanbul jumped from 14th place in 2019, to sixth in 2020 and second in 2021 behind Dubai Worldwide, transporting 26.5 million passengers (all based mostly on Airports Council Worldwide information). Final 12 months, visitors on the airport overtook main Western European airport retail hubs like Frankfurt, Paris Charles de Gaulle, London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol airports.
Luxurious’s resilience
“The posh phase has confirmed to be extraordinarily resilient through the Covid-19 disaster,” stated Heinemann’s Richter. “Due to the intrinsic and lasting worth of a treasured piece of bijou, it’s enticing to customers. At Istanbul Airport, which was open when many different airports had been closed, luxurious manufacturers carried out above common.”
Not surprisingly, Heinemann goes to proceed tapping luxurious’s wealthy seam and as a part of that technique it’s strengthening its collaboration with main luxurious manufacturers worldwide, Cartier being only one instance, because the lengthy checklist of high-end manufacturers above implies.
