First Two of 11 News & Gifts Units Offer Greater Selection, High-Quality Merchandise
CLEVELAND, May 11, 2009 – Travelers in search of their favorite magazine, a newspaper, or a snack for the road now have a much wider selection of brand-name merchandise at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). BAA Cleveland, developer of the AIRMALL® at CLE, has officially welcomed Hudson News and Gifts to the lineup of premium retailers.
“After checking in and making their way through security, travelers often shift their priorities to finding something to read or to buying a snack for the trip. Now, Cleveland travelers will have a terrific selection of books, magazines, snacks, and gifts thanks to Hudson News, the leader in news and gift offerings at airports across the nation,” said Tina LaForte, vice president of BAA Cleveland. “BAA Cleveland is proud that Hudson will be an integral part of the new AIRMALL®. Moreover, travelers can shop and buy knowing that they’ll be paying ‘Regular Mall Prices…Guaranteed.’”
Hudson News currently operates a unit in the airport’s car rental facility and a larger unit located directly across from the Concourse C checkpoint. These two units are part of a group of eleven permanent stores that will open at the new AIRMALL® at CLE. Hudson Group, operators of the Hudson News units at CLE, has teamed up with two Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) companies to manage all of the stores – the United Concessions Group, Inc., and Fins & Feathers Seafood and Poultry Market, Inc., dba English Concessions. Both are Cleveland-based companies.
“When we appointed BAA Cleveland as the developer of concessions at the airport, our goal was to dramatically increase the quality of our offerings and to expand business opportunities for qualified local entrepreneurs,” said Ricky Smith, director of the Cleveland Airport System. “Hudson Group’s partnership with several local companies is clear evidence that the formula is working. Moreover, the additional retail units will increase employment opportunities for Cleveland-area residents.”
Honored numerous times by Airport Revenue News as the Best News and Gift Operator, Hudson News stores feature thousands of regional, national and international magazine titles along with an extensive selection of newspapers and books. A wide range of snacks, bottled beverages, film, batteries, health and beauty aids, traveler convenience items, tobacco products, candy, souvenir apparel, and regional gifts supplement the reading materials.
The AIRMALL® at CLE, a project of BAA Cleveland, is a product of the City of Cleveland’s 10-year contract with BAA Cleveland to develop and manage concessions at CLE. The city anticipates the AIRMALL® will double the current participation rate of local and minority-owned companies, double the number of concession jobs, and double retail sales figures during the next decade. When complete, the AIRMALL® at CLE will occupy 76,000 square feet of retail space.
Hudson News & Gifts (Concourse C Checkpoint) is open Sunday through Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.