Marshall Retail Group (MRG), the largest independent speciality retailer in the US airport, casino and resort market, has opened new stores at New York LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B, and at Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 1.
At LaGuardia, the 1,900sq ft (177sq m) District Market concept– among the first set of new retail options at the state-of-the-art Terminal B – offers travellers local products through partnerships with Made in Queens and Fresh Direct, among other suppliers. Items include travel essentials, gifts and souvenirs plus fresh, local grab-and-go products.
District Market – operated by MRG and its minority partners from St Croix Airport Retail and Imagine Airport Ventures – sits in a new retail area in the eastern concourse of the new terminal. It forms part of an ambitious US$8 billion overhaul of the entire airport.
Some of the ‘Made in Queens’ merchandise includes: T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats from Queens Thread; organic scented soaps and body butter from Melati Bath & Body; confections from Roni-Sue’s Chocolates and Ashanty Chocolates; as well as greeting cards from WidyCat and Niizeki Hiromi.
On the west coast, MRG has unveiled LA Original at Los Angeles International Airport T1. The store offers a wide range of premium products that showcase diverse makers. The aim is to promote locally-designed, assembled or manufactured goods through a line of LA‐branded products from the metropolis. Proceeds support creative entrepreneur programmes, according to MRG.
“We are excited to offer products that are born from the collaborative spirit and creative culture of the city,” said Marshall Retail Group CEO Michael C Wilkins. Those products range from apparel, accessories, beauty and lifestyle to food, and speciality gifts.
LA Original is a pilot programme of the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. The fund jump starts innovative solutions and new ideas that can have a positive civic impact. Mayor Eric Garcetti celebrated the grand opening of the store with a special visit last week.
MRG currently operates more than 160 stores across the USA and Canada and has quickly grown the airport side of its business in just a few years. The Moodie Davitt Report understands that this channel is likely to reach 50% of MRG’s revenue by the end of next year.
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Marshall Retail Group opens speciality stores at New York LaGuardia and Los Angeles airports