A look back at 25 years of flourishing joint ventures, growth, and a presence at all major airports.
In 2024, ATU Duty Free, the joint venture of TAV Airports and Unifree Duty Free, won the concession for the duty-free retail spaces at Antalya Airport, starting from 2025. With this win, the Heinemann group of companies and its joint venture partners will be represented at the seven major Turkish airports of Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bodrum, Dalaman, Alanya, and Antalya, as well as the cruise port Galataport Istanbul.
The Middle East Africa region accounts for around one third of Gebr. Heinemann's overall turnover, with the company operating in the retail and distribution businesses. Turkey, as part of this regional division, and especially the Istanbul Airport hub, continues to be one of the Heinemann Group's main drivers. Gebr. Heinemann started its retail operations in Turkey in 1999, entering into partnerships with ATU Duty Free and Unifree Duty Free. A milestone was reached in 2015, when the Unifree Duty Free joint venture won the contracts for airside retail and the center management at Istanbul Airport.
“Our joint ventures in Turkey have been characterized by the close, trusting, and respectful cooperation between Gebr. Heinemann and its local partners, united by the common goal of providing travelers with an outstanding shopping experience,” says Florian Seidel, CSO at Gebr. Heinemann. “Together, we have grown into the leading travel retailer here and are looking to expand our reach in the Turkish travel market, which is full of potential and growing rapidly.”
Remarkable Sales Growth and New Brands at Istanbul
In 2024, 80 million passengers traveled through Istanbul Airport, the majority of whom flew in and out on Turkish Airlines. The national carrier recorded a 71 percent share of all international flights at its main hub and home base, bringing a diverse mix of passengers. A total of over 100 airlines serve the Turkish metropolis.
“Despite the trend in the country's economy, the number of Turkish travelers and their spending potential continue to rise steadily,” says Ceren Tonguç, CCO at Unifree Duty Free. She predicts that emerging passenger profiles such as India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Vietnam, and Korea will continue to grow. While she also expects the return of Chinese travelers to continue in 2025, the CCO points out that they are more conservative in their spending due to the Chinese economy. Russians are still traveling through Istanbul, with their spending down but still at a high level. It has been replaced by travelers from the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabians, Kuwaitis, and Azerbaijanis.
“In 2024, Istanbul was again above budget. Thanks to the passenger mix Istanbul is a very strong location. Turkish Airlines is doing a great job,” says Florian Seidel.
The duty-free business at Istanbul has seen remarkable growth, with sales up 12.2 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year. “We expanded our offerings, diversified the range of products, and introduced new technologies and services. We want to continue to create unforgettable experiences for travelers in 2025 and maintain our leading position in travel retail,” continues Ceren Tonguç. Also in 2024, the joint venture launched the Unifree x ME rewards program, which is based on Gebr. Heinemann's Heinemann x ME program.
In addition to the 33 core duty-free stores, Unifree also hosts the world's leading brands in the airport's luxury Bosphorus Zone in partnership with ATU Duty Free. In this zone, ATU operates many of the iconic brand shops, such as Hermès, Bulgari, Cartier, Loro Piana, and Longchamp. Consequently, the Fashion, Accessories (FA) category at Istanbul Airport played a key role in ATU's successful year, with the company achieving significant growth across its portfolio. The introduction of new brands such as Canada Goose, Max Mara, and Stone Island, as well as pop-up watch and jewelry stores, also contributed to this development, as did ATU's own local concept brand Old Bazaar.
In addition to its operations at Istanbul, the travel retailer has duty-free shops, world-renowned brand boutiques, and concept stores at Ankara, Izmir, Bodrum, Alanya and Antalya airports.
New Duty-Free Concession at Antalya Airport
“Winning the duty-free concession for Antalya Airport is a major strategic achievement for ATU Duty Free,” says CEO Ersan Arcan. “Antalya Airport is one of the most important tourist gateways in the region, welcoming millions of domestic and international passengers each year. Securing this concession allows us to strengthen our footprint in a key location that continues to grow as a global travel destination and provides us with a valuable opportunity to deliver an innovative, customer-centric, and world-class duty-free shopping experience.”
As part of the Antalya International Expansion Project, airport operator Fraport TAV Antalya has transformed the existing international Terminal 2 into a new, larger terminal building. At Antalya Airport, ATU Duty Free will manage a 12,000-square-meter shopping area. The space includes core duty-free stores as well as ATU's multi-brand concept Luxury Square – already successfully implemented at Istanbul Airport – and its popular Old Bazaar brand. The company aims to enhance the shopping experience by bringing the world's leading brands to Antalya as well as a retail concept tailored to the unique characteristics of the airport and its passenger demographics. “ATU Duty Free's presence at Antalya is not just an expansion of our operations, but a step toward redefining the duty-free experience by combining global retail trends with the warm and welcoming spirit of Turkish hospitality,” concludes Ersan Arcan.
Top Destinations on the Southwest Coast
The new concession at Antalya Airport complements the presence of Gebr. Heinemann's joint ventures in Turkey's popular vacation resorts along the southwest coast. At Milas-Bodrum Airport, ATU Duty Free operates retail outlets across an area of more than 2,000 square meters. In 2024, the main duty-free store was refurbished, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and improved performance thanks to a broader assortment in key product categories. This success was driven by an expanded assortment in fragrances, cosmetics, fashion, and accessories, making it a standout development in the company's portfolio. ATU Duty Free also operates two duty-free shops at Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport, extending the company's presence in the most frequented vacation destinations.
Dalaman Airport is also located on the south coast. Unifree Duty Free manages 5,500 square meters of shopping area at this location with two departures and one arrivals store. As a centrally located airport, Dalaman serves many tourist destinations and is therefore frequented by various charter airlines, especially during the summer months.
“At Izmir and Ankara airports, we are seeing a significant increase in Turkish travelers, well above the average. This has resulted in sales growth outpacing passenger growth, as the strong exchange rate of the Turkish lira against the euro makes duty-free prices more attractive than in the domestic market,” says Ersan Arcan. The CEO adds that both operations are now predominantly centered on arrivals in terms of sales. While the airport at Izmir is mainly a tourist gateway to the resorts on Turkey's Aegean Coast, Ankara Esenboğa Airport serves the Turkish capital – and therefore has a slightly different passenger mix, characterized by government officials and foreign delegations, as well as travelers visiting friends and family.
Galataport Istanbul
In addition to the major airports, ATU Duty Free has also been operating in a unique location since 2021, when the company became the operator of the duty-free store at Galataport Istanbul. The world's first underground cruise terminal, located in one of the Bosphorus' most valuable historical regions, is also a hub for events and culture.
With a strategic presence at these significant international mobility hubs and an outstanding duty-free offering, Turkey is set to remain a strong market for the Heinemann group of companies and its joint venture partners.
