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News
Edrington opens Istanbul Airport store
The Macallan owner Edrington has teamed up with Unifree Duty Free and Gebr Heinemann to open a ‘sensorial’ retail space at Istanbul Airport in Turkey.
The space, located in the airport’s departures area, is The Macallan’s first shop-in-shop in Europe travel retail, and Highland Park’s debut travel retail shop-in-shop globally.
Jeremy Speirs, Edrington’s regional managing director for global travel retail, said: “Since opening in 2018, Istanbul Airport has established itself as a prominent European aviation hub that boasts a diverse passenger mix and ever-expanding list of destinations.
“Istanbul is the meeting point of East and West and a strategic location in which to expand the presence of our key brands as we continue to invest in strengthening our retail footprint in Europe.
“We’re confident that The Macallan and Highland Park will be a welcome addition to the luxury brand offer at Unifree Duty Free’s impressive retail operation at Istanbul Airport.”
Spread over 43 sq m, The Macallan’s space is inspired by the rolling hills of the brand’s estate, while Highland Park’s area is said to offer travellers the opportunity ‘to connect with its brand home in Orkney through a sensory experience that transports through scent’.
Both spaces will showcase the brand’s ultra-premium whiskies, which for The Macallan includes expressions from the Colour and Harmony Collections and Folio No.7 from the archive series, and for Highland Park, travel retail exclusive expressions such as its 40- and 54-year-old releases and Highland Park Single Cask 20YO Istanbul Edition, which is exclusively available at Istanbul Airport.
Unifree Duty Free chief commercial officer Ceren Tonguç said: “We are pleased to unveil a world-first concept in the Unifree Duty Free Store at İstanbul Airport in a strong collaboration with Edrington, contributing to a superior shopping experience for our customers.
“The shop offers a sensory and digitally focused experience, inviting travellers to dive deeper into the worlds of The Macallan and Highland Park and to experience travel retail exclusives.’’
Store visitors can also sample selected expressions and experiment with digital profiling tools to discover suitable whiskies for their needs.
Istanbul Airport is one of Europe’s busiest airports, with 76 million passengers recorded in 2023.
Recently, Edrington agreed to end its UK distribution deal with Beam Suntory. It will continue to distribute Beam Suntory brands in the UK until 31 January 2025.
The company also partnered with Bentley Motors to release a limited edition Macallan whisky, named Horizon. The expression retails for £40,000 (US$51,274) and was launched as part of The Macallan’s 200th-anniversary celebrations.